Tears of Hope
by SincereNaruto
Summary: A dark and terrible event occurs in the village of Konoha that puts Naruto in a bad place. Now only his friends can pull him out of the darkness and prove everyone who Naruto really is, including himself. I rated it 'Teen' to be safe. REWRITE IN PROGRESS!
1. Chapter 1 Friends and Memories

**Tears of Hope  
**

**Note:** This story takes place after the first attack on Konoha and Naruto's fight with Gaara and just shortly after Tsunade became the Fifth Hokage. This is not another one of those love stories you see often in fanfics, but rather a story of friendship and hope for Naruto when he has lost his will and his life is in turmoil.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto, nor am I affiliated in any way with Naruto. I just like the show and mangas so I wrote this fanfic.

This fanfic belongs to me. If you want to use it in any way shape or form, you'll need my permission first.

I have been reading through quite a few Naruto fanfics trying to find a story that treated Naruto with respect and dignity. Their are a few good ones, but their are far too many that trample over the image of Naruto. I've always enjoyed stories about hope and upliftment, but I've found those that I have read to be less than satisfactory. Many of them laboriously detail the trials of Naruto and show his pain and hardships, focusing far too much on the bad and not enough on the good. Then when things start to finally lift up the story abruptly ends, leaving me wondering what happened from then onwards.

So I decided it was time for me to write my own story. It may not be good, but I hope that people like it and, even if it isn't good, I hope that it will give someone else inspiration.

This story starts off with something bad happening to Naruto, but it doesn't only focus on that event, but rather on how his friends help him rise out of the darkness and show everyone who Naruto really is, including himself. Hope you enjoy.

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**Chapter one - Friends and Memories**

It was just another day in the village of Konoha as team seven waited for their ever late sensei. Naruto and sasuke were once again bickering with each other and Sakura was trying desperately to calm them down. After a few failed attempts she finally gave up with an exhausted sigh. "These to will never learn will they" she thought to herself, walking over to the edge of the bridge that they had gotten all to familiar with. The wind shuffled through her hair and fell gently on her face. She just stood quietly and stared at her reflection in the water, the bickering of her teammates now becoming faint as memories started to flood her mind. Memories of the attack on Konoha bye Orochimaru and how Naruto and Sasuke fought to protect her.

"Sakura chan?" Sakura immediately snapped out of her trance only to see Naruto's hand waving in front of her eyes. "You zoned out there for a second" smirked Sasuke. "Are you OK? You looked like you were daydreaming" asked Naruto clearly worried about his team mate. "Don't worry, it wasn't about you" quipped Sasuke with a small grin on his face. "What's that supposed to mean loser Sasuke!" "Who are you calling a loser idiot!" Oh they're at it again" Sakura sighed, and then looked up at her teammates, Sasuke having Naruto in a headlock all the while shouting loser. She could only smile as she thought quietly to herself of how fond she had grown of the two of them, even though Naruto sometimes irritated her beyond belief she realised how important he was to her and how she would be their for him like he was for her.

Poof! Kakashi finally arrived in a cloud of smoke and almost in an instant Naruto and Sasuke released each other and began verbally assaulting their late sensei. "You kept us waiting for two hours, what took you so long" Kakashi just flung another excuse about how he was helping someone only to be berated even more by the now fuming team seven rookies. " 'sigh' when will you guys give me a break? Anyway don't you want to hear about the mission we have today?" Naruto's eyes widened with glee at the thought of what they might be doing. Would they get a daring B rank mission or perhaps they would finally get an A rank mission for once, Naruto thought to himself with obvious grin on his face.

"Today we are helping to rebuild the Ninja academy!" Kakashi chirped, knowing all to well the response he was going to get. "What!" cried Naruto. "We're ninjas of Konoha, not a construction crew!" Naruto was clearly upset by what he thought was a waste of his skills. With another sigh Kakashi started to explain. "Konoha is still trying to recover from Orochimaru's attack, and is currently in a weakened state. If we don't work hard to rebuild as quickly as possible we could be under threat of another attack." "But..." Naruto started before Kakashi quickly cut him off. "But we have a duty to protect our village above all else and right now the best way to do that is buy helping to rebuild it together." Naruto sank in defeat. It was hard to argue with kakashi when he put it that way. "Fine lets get going" Naruto groaned, putting a smile on his sensei's face.

The team made their way over to the ninja academy, where they got to work under Iruka's supervision. Naruto and Sasuke were clearly in a competitive mood as their rivalry sparked off a competition as to who could get the most done. Iruka smiled as he looked on at his former student who now seemed to be so happy, with friends that he cared for. "He's allot better now, isn't he?" Iruka turned around to see Kakashi walking up to him. "Yes... I suppose he is." Iruka still couldn't help but worry tough, as he knew all to well how the villager saw Naruto. He only wished that he could show everyone else what he saw in the blue eyed boy he had come to think of as his own son.

The sun began to set as team seven said their good-byes for the evening. Naruto's and Sasuke's rivalry had pushed the two beyond the call of duty. Iruka could only marvel at how much they had done in one day, now doubt because of their competitive natures and unwillingness to lose to one-another. "Aren't you coming Sakura-chan" called naruto as he started to walk home. "You two go on ahead, a just need to talk to kakashi sensei for a moment" Naruto bowed his head in disappointment and then started home Sasuke walking at his side. "Looks like I won again loser" Sasuke quipped. "What do you mean I lost, I'd never lose to you idiot!" Before Naruto could get far Sasuke interrupted him. "Well this is where turn off, don't get lost on your way home loser" Sasuke said to a now pouting Naruto. "Don't worry, I won't... oh and Sasuke.." Naruto spoke now in a softer tone. "It... it was fun today." Sasuke turned and continued to walk his way home only putting his hand up to wave goodbye. "I guess it was" murmured Sasuke under his breath with an ever so slight grin on his face.

Naruto watched as his friend walked out of view. "Friend... he is my friend now isn't he?" Naruto was just about to continue home when a cold voice called from the corner. "Why would that Uchiha kid be friends with a monster like you!" Naruto turned to see a tall dark haired man walk out from the alleyway. His eyes burned with a dark hatred that, with a single glance, burned into Naruto's heart with his convicting stare. Behind him were more villagers all holding sticks and branches, some even had pots and bottles. "What's going on? What do you want with me" asked a fear stricken Naruto.

"You stupid monster fox, my family is dead because of you. Don't act so innocent." screamed the man as he walked up to the young boy, batting a wooden plank into his hand. "Now you'll pay for your crimes." Two men came up from either side and grabbed Naruto's arms before he could get away. "no... please... it wasn't me.. I didn't.." Tears started to stream down Naruto's face as the crowd closed in with dark tormenting eyes.

--

Well, hope the first chapter was good. I intend to upload new chapters on a regular basis, so if you liked it, check back daily to see more.

Feedback will be appreciated!


	2. Chapter 2 Falling into Darkness

**Tears of Hope  
**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto, nor am I affiliated in any way with Naruto. I just like the show and mangas so I wrote this fanfic.

This fanfic belongs to me. If you want to use it in any way shape or form, you'll need my permission first.

I hope you enjoyed the first chapter. I know it took long to get into but I had to show people that this is was a typical day in Naruto's life. I also wanted to show the stark contrast in Naruto's behavior before and after the incident that takes place, rather than jump straight into it. This gives the readers something to compare with in order to emphasize the hole Naruto is about to find himself in.

--

**Chapter Two - Falling into Darkness**

Sakura rubbed her arms a cold breeze pushed against her. "It was so warm today, why is it getting so cold tonight. If I knew that it would be like this I would have brought a jacket with me" she thought to herself as she rubbed her shoulders, hugging herself tightly. The moon had all but disappeared from the sky, leaving only a small illuminated crescent shape. It was dark in the village of Konoha, coupled with the sudden cold it almost seemed as though there was an ill omen being carried by the wind. Sakura closed her eyes in concentration, pushing chakra through her body in order to warm it up a bit, knowing that it was now getting dangerously cold.

Sakura was always good at controlling her chakra, being able to send it back and forth to any part of her body when needed. "I hope Naruto made it home in time" she thought to herself, worried knowing that Naruto's chakra control was not properly developed yet. She knew that Sasuke would be fine. "Oh stop worrying, he probably got home long ago and he wears that jacket of his all the time anyway!" Sakura's thought wondered back to her conversation with Kakashi.

**FLASHBACK: "Kakashi sensi, I'm a bit worried about something. It's... it's Naruto." Kakashi looked at Sakura in surprise, it was odd for her to worry about Naruto, much less admit to anyone that she did. "It seems the team is finally growing together more" He thought to himself before answering. "What seems to be the problem Sakura?" "Well.. I've kinda started noticing things, you know, um..." "It's ok, you can tell me what your thinking" "... Is there something wrong with Naruto?" Kakashi's eye widened. "Wrong? What do you mean?" "I don't know, it's just... it's the way everyone seems to look at him. I've started noticing that everyone looks at him as though he has a contagious illness, like he is unwanted." Kakashi was now shocked beyond belief. Sakura never noticed things like this about Naruto before, when they first started as team seven. Then again back then she only thought of him as an nuisance. Now it seems as though she really thinks of him as a friend. "It's nice of you to worry, but don't let it get to you, Naruto is a strong person.." "But why?!" Sakura cut him short. "Why do they look at him with those eyes?!" Kakashi sighed a deep sigh before answering. "Naruto has had a complicated past. Let's just say that it involves an event that happenned a while ago that people find hard to forget." "Did Naruto do something wrong?" "No, it's not what he did at all, but rather what everyone thinks he did." Sakura was now completely confused, but then Kakashi reassured her. "Don't worry, I'll take care of him, you just make sure you're there as his friend." FLASHBACK END**

Sakura tightened her grip around herself as the icy wind howled around her, shrieking and whistling under the near moonless sky. As she walked past the front gates of Konoha fear started to sneak its way into her mind. A sudden wisp of noise reached her ear, causing her to quickly glance around to see if their was anyone else nearby. Maybe, she thought, she should have asked Kakashi to walk her home. Then something caught her eye. The gates were wide open, creaking and winding as the wind rocked them back and forth. Further out was a glowing light flickering in the wind. "I wonder who would be all the way out there in this cold" she thought to herself turning to walk towards the light. "Maybe they're in trouble. I better go and have a look." Sakura walked through the gates and headed out into the forest that bordered Konoha's walls, but as she got closer a strange scene met her eyes.

There were a few burned out torches lying around, even some broken bottles and sticks. "What was going on here" she thought to herself shortly before entering a clearing in the woods. What she saw stunned her. Small pieces of torn material were scattered here and there, some of them covered in blood. Wooden planks and some broken glass bottles were also present, amongst other items. It was then that she noticed the colour of the material, it was orange. Sakura's heart suddenly froze. "No... it couldn't be, could it?" The flickering torch that she had seen earlier now caught her eye again. As she approached the tree it stood under Sakura was compelled to look up. As she raised her head her eyes widened and filled with tears.

"No... NO!" What she saw was the young boy that was her friend hanging from the tree with his neck tied in a noose and his hands tied behind his back. His cloths were torn and battered and blood stained much of it. His body was filled with cuts and bruises indicating the horrible tortures he had obviously endured. Dry tear stains were evident on his cold lifeless face. "Someone... someone ... SOMEONE HELP!!" Sakura quickly pulled out a kunai and hurled it at the rope that held Naruto and managed to catch him before his broken body hit the ground.

Sakura removed the noose that was tightly tied around Naruto's bruised neck and placed her hand to check for a pulse. After waiting for what seemed like an eternity a sudden flicker could be felt. "He's still alive" Sakura sighed, tears now streaming down her face. But she had no time to waste, his pulse was extremely weak and his body was now icy cold. If she didn't get him to Tsunade right now he would die. Sakura quickly cut off the rope that bound Naruto's hands, stood up and ran as fast as she could back to Konoha, through the front gate while carrying Naruto in her arms. "Who would do this? Why would someone do this?" Sakura thought to herself.

She didn't even know how she was able to carry him and still have the strength to move so fast, but she didn't care. Memories started to flood her mind, memories of all the times Naruto had save her, during the chuunin exams when Orochimaru attacked and during their fight with Gaara. Even the conversation she had with Kakashi sensei sprang up. She shook them off regaining focus of what she was doing. An inner strength seemed to grip her as she raced back towards the Hokage's office, she would save him, just as he had saved her. She wasn't about to let him down.

--

The thick plottens! Please give feedback, I'm worried that the chapters are too short. Just let me know if this is the case.


	3. Chapter 3 A Long Night

**Tears of Hope**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto, nor am I affiliated in any way with Naruto. I just like the show and mangas so I wrote this fanfic.

This fanfic belongs to me. If you want to use it in any way shape or form, you'll need my permission first.

On to number three. Whew. It took a while for me to think about all the elements of the previous chapter but I think it came together well. Not much I can think of saying ... so enjoy. :)

--

**Chapter Three - A long Night**

The hallways of the Hokage tower creaked and stirred as the cold set into every nook and cranny. Shizune walked slowly down towards the entrance, stopping briefly to look outside a nearby window. "I haven't seen such cold weather like this in a while" she thought to herself as clouds slowly began to cover the night sky. "Maybe I should put some warmer clothes on before heading out." Shizune continued down the hallway, having been let go early by Tsunade who was in no mood for any more work. As she put her hand forward to open the door she paused. "arrgh, I forgot, I still need to wait for the next shift of ANBU gaurds to arrive" Shizune scolded to herself. The previous shift had left a few minutes earlier and the next one would be there shortly. "Oh well, might as make myself comfortable." With that Shizune walked over to the nearby seat and placed herself in a relaxed position.

Bang, bang, bang. The loud thud on the door startled Shizune, who was already dozing off. "That must be the next shift already. At least I can go home now." Little did Shizune know that this was going to be a long night as the next thing she heard suprized her. "Please open up.. I need help!" Shizune jumped up in suprize. That definitely wasn't the ANBU guards, she thought to herself. "That sounds like Sakura-chan." Shizune quickly raced over to the door and unbolted it, opening it to a shocking sight. Before her was a crying Sakura, holding someone. Shizunes eyes widened. "Naruto-kun! .. Sakura what happened?" Shizune slapped herself on the head. "Never mind that lets quickly get him to a medical room, you can explain on the way."

Shizune took the battered body out of girls hands and raced quickly down the hall, Sakura trailing not far behind. Naruto'ss body felt icy cold, and his injuries were severe. "What happened Sakura-chan?!" "I don't know, I found him like this hanging by his neck to a tree not far from the village gate" Sakura responded closing her eyes with pain at the mere thought of what she had seen. Shizune examined the boy's neck. He had severe bruising around the throat and some grazes indicating a rope noose was used. Judging by the severity of the wounds, he had been hanging there for quite some time.

The two entered a medical room located inside the Hokage tower. It had always been there in case of emergencies and the hospital was out of the question. Shizune carefully placed Naruto on a nearby bed, removing his torn jacket and shirt so that she could examine the wounds. "We need Tsunade-sama right away!" she shouted. Sakura knew after hearing that, that these wounds were extremely serious. Just then two figures appeared by the door. It was the next ANBU gaurd shift. Shizune shot around to face them. "Good you're here, quickly go to Tsunade-sama and tell her to get down to the emergency medical ward right away!" "What's going on?" one of the guards asked before receiving a sharp look from Shizune. "GET HER NOW OR I'LL KILL YOU WHERE YOU STAND!!" The ANBU guard jumped back, not daring to test her threat, he complied with a "Yes mistress Shizune" and disappeared in a flash. Shizune looked back down to see Sakura with her hands on Naruto's arms head down crying. "Please don't die!" she wept.

"I don't have time to waste, I need to start immediately" Shizune thought to herself, placing her hands on one of the wounds. A glow started to form around the area that her hands were placed as the wounds slowly began to close. "Why wasn't the fox chakra healing him this time?" she thought to herself. After closing the first wound she moved to examine the neck area. Just then Tsunade burst into the room. "What's wrong, who's hurt!?" she shouted, knowing well that Shizune wouldn't call her for an injury she couldn't handle herself and if she couldn't handle it, then it was definitely severe. Her eyes widened in horror as she realised who it was on top of the medical bed. "Naruto?"

Tsunade rushed to the side of the bed. "Report Shizune!" Shizune paused and glanced at Tsunade before nudging her head in Sakura's direction. Tsunade knew what she was getting at. She didn't want Sakura to hear what she had to say. "Sakura" she started, with a soft voice, "please can you wait outside for.." "No.. I won't leave him" "but I.." "NO!" Sakura looked up with hopeless eyes. "I can't abandon him.. I won't abandon him! He's never done that to me so how can I just leave him alone." Tsunades eyes welled up a she looked at the girl crying before her. "I understand how you feel, I've also been in the same situation, but I need all the room I can get while treating Naruto. Please, you have to understand." Sakura nodded before standing up. "Please... you have to save him" and with that she walked out the door closing it behind her.

Tsunade turned again to Shizune. "Well" she murmured. "Sakura-chan has explained to me that she found Naruto tied to a tree by the neck. His wounds indicate extensive tortures and beatings. Judging by their severity and just the sheer amount of injuries, this obviously went on for quite a while." Tears started to form in Tsunades eyes, but these tears only hid a furious wrath that she felt inside. As she looked down at the figure below her, thoughts flashed through her mind. The images of her brothers lifeless figure laying in front of her haunted her as she looked at Naruto. Then she began to think of the time they encountered Orochimaru, the first time she thought Naruto was going to die. "Not again... not again!" She cursed at herself. How could she allow this to happen again... "No!" she snapped at herself. "Now is not the time to cry, I have to be strong. I have to save him."

"How are his life signs?" Tsunade asked Shizune, putting her emotions under control. "I'm afraid they aren't very good. I'm suprised he is still alive, but still, I don't understand why the Kyuubi's chakra isn't healing him as it normally would." Tsunade pondered at the thought for a moment, and then came up with an answer. "It would normally but..." Shizune looked confusingly at Tsunade. "The Kyuubi's life is tied to that of Naruto's." It was then that a stunned realization hit Shizune. "So as they beat him closer to death.." "Yes" Tsuande answered. "As Naruto got closer to death the Kyuubi's power weakened as well." "I'm assuming that the only reason he survived from being suffocated was because the Kyuubi redirected all of it's remaining power to prevent him from dying." Tsunade went over to a nearby shelf to collect some of the equipment she would need for the trial they had ahead of them. "Lets do this Shizune!" "Hai!" As they got to work thoughts continued to race through Tsunades mind. They had allot of work ahead of them if they were going to save Naruto. It was going to be a very long night.

--

Once I started writing this story, I just couldn't stop. Don't be surprised if you see the chapters coming out very quickly.


	4. Chapter 4 Dawn

**Tears of Hope  
**

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Naruto, nor am I affiliated in any way with Naruto. I just like the show and mangas so I wrote this fanfic.

This fanfic belongs to me. If you want to use it in any way shape or form, you'll need my permission first.

Judging by the rate at which the stories moving along, I think that I am going to have quite a few chapters ahead of me before it comes to a close. Who knows if I still have more to tell, I may just carry on until I am satisfied. I just don't want to change the pace because now it is feels right to me. Hope you are enjoying it.

--

**Chapter Four - Dawn**

The fist rays of light flickered over the horizon, dancing atop the trees and through the windows as the sun finally started to rise over Konoha. The warm light burned away the remaining cold of the previous night and the clouds parted, almost as if a new hope had risen in the face of adversity. In the Hokage tower, outside the medical ward Sakura had long since fallen asleep, exhausted from the commotion of the previous night. As the warm rays of light finally touched her face her body began to stir. Her eyes slowly opened, dazed and tired, as she glanced around the hallway. Suddenly all the memories rushed back into her. Memories of the ordeal she had just been through. She jumped up, her body shaking as though she had just seen a ghost. "Was he stillalive?" she thought to herself as she put her foot forward in the direction of the closed medical room door.

Before she could go any further the door burst open. Sakura jumped in fright just before seeing an exhausted Tsunade walk out into the hallway. She sat down on one of the benches near the one Sakura had been sleeping on. Sakura look earnestly at the hokage before sitting down again, focussing her eyes down towards her shaking hands that lay upon her lap. Both of them just sat there, quietly, waiting for what seemed like an eternity. The silence finally broke as Tsunade opened her mouth to speek. "We've managed to stabilise him." Sakura's heart almost exploded at the sound of the words she just heard. "He's ... he's still... alive!" she thought to herself tears once again forming in her eyes. Her body felt weak again, almost as though she would just collapse any moment. "Tsunade looked at the girl before her, as a small smile was allowed to grace her face for the first time in hours. "His vitals are picking up, and we've managed to control the most sever wounds. His breathing is also returning to normal. But..." Sakura looked up at Tsunade with a worried look now gracing her contorted face.

"But what?" Her voice was now shaking at the thought of possible bad news. "He is still in a critical condition at this time. I don't know if he'll remain as stable as he currently is. The damage to his body is still extensive and we can't trust..." Tsunade paused, realizing that Sakura didn't yet know about the Kyuubi sealed within Naruto's body. "What?" Sakura nagged again. ".. We can't trust the equipment currently at our disposal. We'll need to transfer him to the hospital as soon as possible if we want to keep his condition under proper surveillance." Sakura looked back down at her hands. Her body had calmed down a little. He was alive and that was all that mattered to her right know. "Shizune, contact the Konoha hospital immediately! Tell them to send a medical team over to the Tower to transfer a patient! Make sure they know that its a critical situation" Tsunade shouted through the door, loud enough to stir the now tired ANBU guards further down the hallway. "I still don't know what's going on" one of the guards whispered to the other. "Dare to ask" was his solemn team-mates only reply. "No... I guess not."

The water flowed briskly beneath the all too familiar bridge that team seven often met at before their missions. The suns rays glistening atop the ripples that swayed back and fourth in an endless cycle. A burst of ripples formed as a pebble dropped down, disturbing the tranquility of the stream and warping a lone reflection of the one standin on the bridge. "I wonder where everyone is this morning?" Sasuke murmured to himself as he waited, less than patiently, atop the small bridge. "kakashi told us to be here early today for an important briefing." Sasuke now stared down the long path approaching the bridge, trying spot his team mates. "It's a given that our lazy sensei would be late, but this doesn't explain where Naruto and Sakura are!" now growing anxious and irritated at the same time.

"Hey there!" Sasuke almost jumped of the bridge at the sudden appearance of his late sensei. "You should know better than to sneak up on someone like that. You almost gave me a heart attack!" Sasuke scolded at kakashi, who just gave his usual sigh placing his hand up in an apologetic wave. He then glanced around back and forth, a slight confusion coming over his masked face. "Where are Naruto and Sakura? It's not like them to be late." "I don't know, I haven't seen them all morning." "Then perhaps we should go looking for them" a now slightly worried Kakashi spoke, looking up at the almost fully visible sun. He could feel an anguished knot form in his stomach as he couldn't help but think that something must be wrong.

A frantic scene formed outside the Hokage tower as medical teams rushed to secure Naruto to a stretcher. He had to be transferred quickly lest anything happened to make his condition fall. It was still early and there were very few villagers wondering around at the time. Sakura stood next to a motionless Naruto as the final straps fastened his body down, preventing him from shifting as they would make there way to the hospital. It was then that she realized that he didn't have his headband on. "It must still be in the forest." She thought to herself as the final strap was fastened.

A hand landed softly on Sakura's shoulder. It was Tsunades. "He'll be alright" she spoke, rubbing the worried girls shoulder. "I want to go with them" was her only reply. "Hai! But don't slow them down. I'll be their shortly. I just need to collect some notes from my office. Shizune will accompany you in the meantime." Sakura nodded. "Ok!" Tsunade shouted, gaining the attention of the now prepared medical ninjas. "You are to move to the hospital as quickly as possible, but try not to create to much commotion. If anything happens to Naruto, there will be consequences!" A unanimous 'HAI!' sounded amongst the ninjas before they took of in a flash, jumping across the rooftops as quickly as possible in the direction of the Hospital. Sakura looked back as Tsunade turned to the Hokage towers front door.

As they neared the front entrance to the hospital Sakura could see a medical team waiting for there arrival. They landed in front of the doors as medical staff rushed over to take the patient inside. Sakura stood and watched as they headed towards the door. Not to far away, Kakashi glanced around as his head wavered from side to side looking for his missing team as he walked through the streets of the village, a morbid Sasuke at his side. "What's going on down there?" Kakashi looked towards Sasuke's surprised face as the young ninja spoke. He then looked up to see a crowd of medical staff gathered outside the Hospital doors.

"Something must have happened" he thought as he saw a lone stretcher being carried into the doors. They both quickly rushed towards the scene. "Sakura!" shouted Sasuke as he noticed her standing in amongst the med nins. Sakura turned around quickly to see her companions making there way towards her. Tears started to form in her eyes at the sight of them. She then collapsed onto her knees just as a shocked Sasuke bent down in front of her. "What's wrong?" His voice was now stricken with anxiety. "It's ... it's." It was then that Kakashi realised who it was that had been carried into the hospital doors. "N... Naruto!"

--

Sakura's an emotional wreck at the moment, but i guess that's how it's always been. Hope you enjoyed


	5. Chapter 5 Analysis

**Tears of Hope**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto, nor am I affiliated in any way with Naruto. I just like the show and mangas so I wrote this fanfic.

This fanfic belongs to me. If you want to use it in any way shape or form, you'll need my permission first.

Thank you to those who have given me good feedback. It makes it all the more worth it. I will do my best to keep up the good standards. Anyhow... It's time for chapter five!!

--

**Chapter Five - Analysis**

The sound of trampling feet echoed throughout the hallway of the hospital. An anxious, frustrated mood could be heard in the rhythm of the footsteps as they wavered, back and forth, in front of the room where Naruto now lay. Kakashi watched nervously as his pupil continued to pace, moaning and grumbling under his voice. "Please calm down Sasuke" a worried Sakura begged as the Uchiha walked past her. But her words fell on deaf ears as he just continued to moan. "How could this happen! Who would do this!" the furious boy growled, his voice now growing louder and angrier. "You need to calm down" Kakashi finally spoke putting his had out towards the passing Sasuke. "Don't tell me to calm down!!" Sasuke snapped back, quickly glancing over to his sensei, shanringan present in his eyes. Kakashi quickly withdrew his hand. "I'll kill those bastards that did this to him, I swear I will!"

Kakashi's eyes widened in shock at what he had just heard. Was this the same Sasuke who had seemed so indifferent towards Naruto before? Even Sakura's eyes were filled with surprise as her teammate continued to scold her sensei. Just then the door opened. The sound of hi-healed shoes could be heard as Shizune stepped out of the room. "It's all set now, you can go inside, but please be careful, he's still in a critical condition." Sakura ran ahead as Shizune finished her sentence. She had to see Naruto, she had to look at him even if he wasn't able to look back. Sasuke was not far behind. Only Kakashi stayed outside, there was something he had to discuss with Shizune. Once the two gennin disappeared from site, closing the door behind them, he began. "How did this happen to Naruto?" was the first question he could muster. Shizune paused for a moment and the replied. "I think we should wait for Tsunade to get here before I tell you anything. A messenger hawk has been sent out to Jiraiya to recall him from his surveillance mission. He should be here within the hour." "What about Iruka, he'd want to know about this as well." Iruka had always been a father like figure for Naruto, so it was only natural that he be made aware of the situation. "He's also been called in" Shizune replied. "Once they're all here Tsunade will brief you on the situation.

Just then Iruka stormed into the hospital running down the hallway towards the two Jounin before stopping. He was panting, and clearly out of breath. "I heard about Naruto, is he alright?" Kakashi just looked over to the room in wich Naruto was lying. Iruka didn't even pause as he turned to the door and raced inside. Kakashi followed soon after. Shizune walked over to the wall and leaned her back against its cold surface. Her body was now completely exhausted, her mussels aching as she let out a long due sigh. "Why don't you go home and sleep?" Shizune look towards the voice speaking to her. It was Tsunade and she had a very worried Jiraiya standing at her side. "I don't think I could fall asleep, even if I tried" Shizune smirked. She glanced over at the books Tsunade was carrying in her hand. They were her private medical files that she kept in case of extreme circumstances like these. "I'll get Kakashi and Iruka, meet me in the office down the hall. It's time to let everyone know what's going on" Tsunade finished, before walking into the room.

A few minutes later they all gathered in the hospitals office, seating themselves around a central table with Tsunade at it's head. The shinobi present were Jiraiya, Iruka, Kakashi and Shizune. Kurenai, Gai and Asuma had also been called in to hear what Tsunade had to say. "I'm sure you're all wondering what happened to leave Naruto in this condition." There was a unanimous nod amongst the present shinobi, who were all by now in a state of alarm. "It was Sakura who found Naruto like this and she tried her best to explain to Shizune what she saw, but I'll fill you in to the best of my knowledge." As Tsunade explained what she knew about the condition Naruto was found in, the noose which held him in suffocation, the bruises and cuts, the shredded clothing and surrounding debris, looks of horror and shock filled the faces on the shinobi she looked upon. At least an hour passed as she recited the previous nights events as well as her own findings while examining Naruto's injuries.

"So?" Tsunade ended, looking into eyes that seemed as though the life had just been drained from them. The room remained silent for a brief moment before anyone spoke. "You said the Kyuubi's chakra wasn't healing him" Kurenai started. "Yes, that's correct. The Kyuubi is, no doubt, in a severely weakened state. I doubt whether it even has enough power for minor healing at this point." "Will it be permanent?" Asuma asked with a contorted face." Tsunade thought about it for a moment and then answered. "I'm assuming that in order for the Kyuubi to regain it's power Naruto will first have to recover himself." "So that means that Naruto will have to heal his wounds on his own before the Kyuubi can take over" Asuma surmised. "Yes that's correct, but I'm also worried about the psychological damage inflicted on Naruto as well. If, judging by his wounds, the torture he went through is severe as we think, there may be massive amounts of damage to his mind." "But we still don't know exactly what happened to him or who did it!" A now irate Jiraiya bellowed. Tsunade elbows landed on the table as she placed her hands together, touching her lips. "If Naruto wakes up soon, we'll have to uncover exactly what took place."

"I could." Tsunade looked over to Kurenei as she spoke. "I could use a genjutsu to put him under a type of hypnosis. I then might be able to explore his subconscious to recall the events of that night." We'll have to see when he wakes up" Tsunade replied. But I don't want anything done without Naruto's permission. In the mean time we'll all have to do the best with what is currently available to us." Tsunade rose from her position, her arms falling to her side. "We must try to find out as much as possible, for Naruto's sake... dismissed." The shinobi walked slowly out of the room, leaving only Tsunade, Jiraiya and Kakashi behind. Kakashi, who had only listened throughout the meeting spoke for the first time. "I'm afraid of what might happen if the perpetrators catch site of Naruto again. There may be a repeat of this incidence if we're not careful." Jiraiya nodded in agreement before adding his own thoughts. "We'll have to protect Naruto at all times. It's in these events that he needs friends more than ever." The three shinobi looked at each other without saying another word, but words were not necessary. It was almost as if the same thoughts were being shared between them. After some silent glances were passed between them they slowly exited the room, plans racing through their minds.

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Hope you enjoyed the fifth chapter. The next one will be uploaded soon, so keep checking back regularly.


	6. Chapter 6 Awakening

**Tears of Hope**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto, nor am I affiliated in any way with Naruto. I just like the show and mangas so I wrote this fanfic.

This fanfic belongs to me. If you want to use it in any way shape or form, you'll need my permission first.

I won't say anything about this chapter. You'll just have to read and see what happens. Muahaha Muahaha Mu.. cough cough. :)

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**Chapter Six - Awakening**

Sakura sat back in the chair that stood next to Naruto's bed as the late afternoon sun glimmered through the hospital window, it's soft light now creeping onto the face of her motionless friend. "He looks so calm, so... peaceful" she thought as she looked on. Sasuke was already asleep on a chair in the corner of the room. He had finally managed to calm himself down a bit and the exhaustion had sank in. I had been a few hours since Tsunade had held her meeting with the other Jounin. After it had ended Shizune and Kurenai headed off to the scene where the whole ordeal had taken place, in order to find any evidence that would lead them to the ones responsible. Jiraiya had also decided to accompany them in case they ran into any trouble. Kakashi did rounds questioning the villagers, trying to find information on what had occurred that evening. Even Iruka couldn't stay, despite his protests. He still had a responsibility to the ninja academy students and he couldn't leave them unattended.

Only Sakura and Sasuke remained by Naruto's side, while Tsunade went through medical reports not to far down the hallway. Sakura placed her hands on Naruto's arms. They felt warmer than before, as the colour of life seemed to slowly return. Bandages covered most of his upper body, hiding many of the wounds he had suffered. Sakura placed her head on her hands, allowing her eyes to rest for a while. A breeze started to pick up as a draft made its way through the slightly open window. Sakura opened her eyes again not noticing the small twitch in Naruto's arm as she stood. "I can't let him get cold" she thought as she walked over to close it. As the window silently slammed shut a small murmur reached Sakura's ear. "S.." Sakura's heart froze as a small whisper came from Naruto's direction. She shot around and saw his eyes slowly trying to inch their way open. "Sakura-chan" Naruto coughed, trying desperately to speak. It sounded more like a dry whisper than actual words. "Naruto!" She yelped quickly rushing back to his side. "Where am I? He started again, drawing a deep breath before he spoke. But before he could say anything more she stopped him.

"Please don't speak, Tsunade-sama told me that your throat is badly damaged. Just relax, everything is going to be fine." Confusion overcame Naruto as he tried to put the pieces together. "The hospital?" he wondered. "What am I doing in the?..." Suddenly the memories of the previous night all came rushing back to him. His face became contorted as the visions of his ordeal repeated in his mind. "Nnhhh!!" Naruto moaned in pain as his hand grasped the bed sheet underneath him, squeezing as tightly as he could. "Naruto! What's wrong Naruto!" Sakura yelled as she watched his body tighten, sweat forming around his face and tears forming in his eyes. His breathing became erratic and his moans louder as he desperately tried to gasp for air. It felt like his throat was tightening, cutting off his air supply. His eyes tightened closed, his head shifting slightly from side to side.

"Naruto!!" Sakura's yell woke up Sasuke, who quickly jumped to his feet. He looked up to see her desperately trying to calm Naruto down. "Whats happening!" he yelled as he rushed beside her. "I don't know, we need to get help!" Sasuke ran out the door as fast as his legs could carry him. As he disappeared from view, a frantic Sakura continued to try and suppress Naruto. Moments later, Tsunade burst into the room and stepped up to the bed, Sasuke right behind her. "He just woke up... and then started doing this." Sakura cried, desperately trying to hold Naruto down. "His body is going into shock, I have to get him under control immediately" Tsunade yelled turning to face the door. "Get these two out of here!" A few hospital officials quickly entered the room one grabbing Sakura while the rest tried to pull a frantic Sasuke out the door. "No! I need to stay, I need to stay!" Sakura yelped as she was carried out the door. As she was dragged into the hallway, the hospital door closed in front of her eyes.

As a cool fresh breeze began to pick up, the trees began to shuffle as a rasping sound echoed through the forest just outside of Konoha. Jiraiya, Shizune and Kurenai entered the clearing that Sakura had found Naruto in, only a few hours before. As the three searched around the debris, they couldn't help but feel an anguished knot form in their stomachs. "So... this is where it all happened" Kurenei whispered to herself, shortly before approaching the tree where Naruto had been noosed up to. Jiraiya stepped beside her, quietly looking at the rope as it swayed back and forth in the wind. His eyes filled with anguish at the thought of what his student had gone through, the pain he must have endured. A hand softly touched his shoulder as he turned to see a concerned Kurenai looking into his eyes. "We'll find those who did this" she said softly, Jiraiya nodding in agreement. It was then that he noticed Naruto's headband lying on the floor beneath the tree. He reached down, picked it up, and squeezed it tightly in his hands.

Back at the hospital, a nervous Sasuke was once again pacing, back and forth in the hallway. Shuffling could be heard through the closed door, in amongst Tsunades growls and puffs. Sakura had all but collapsed on the floor, no longer able to endure the stress of seeing her friend in anguish. "I'm going inside" Sasuke bellowed turning to face the door. "No! We must let Tsunade-sama take care of this" Sakura replied. But she too secretly wished that she could be beside him. Sasuke, knowing that Sakura spoke the truth resumed his pacing. After a few more shuffles and a sigh of relief was heard, the door opened. Tsunade walked out causing both Sasuke and Sakura to quickly snap their heads in her direction, both pausing, waiting for her to say something.

"We've managed to subdue him" she smiled. Sakura and Sasuke both let out a simultaneous sigh of relief, before Tsunade continued. "He has passed out again and is now sleeping. I doubt he'll wake up again today, so we'll have to wait until morning." Sakura looked into the room, before opening her mouth to speak. But before she could say anything, Sasuke beat her to it. "Can we go back inside and see him?" He murmured. "Tsunade smiled as a confused Sakura stared blankly at her teammate. "You can go inside" she replied. "But watch him carefully. If anything happens you be sure to alert me, or a nearby official immediately." "Hai!" With that, Sasuke and Sakura ran back into the room.

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Another two chapters will follow shortly. I'm not sure if i will have the time to write this weekend. But those should keep you busy in the mean time. (I'll probly end up writing anyway) :) Check back often for updates!!

And please review!! :D


	7. Chapter 7 A New Day

**Tears of Hope**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto, nor am I affiliated in any way with Naruto. I just like the show and mangas so I wrote this fanfic.

This fanfic belongs to me. If you want to use it in any way shape or form, you'll need my permission first.

This next chapter was a bit difficult for me to push out. I knew exactly what I wanted in it, but had a hard time piecing the different elements together. After reading through and editing it a few times I think I've finally managed to polish it up. Enjoy.

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**Chapter Seven - A New Day**

Light filled the streets of Konoha as the sun rose above the mountains. The shuffling of feet became a common sound as villagers began to fill the streets. Even though it had been a number of weeks since Orochimaru's attack, the remnants of destruction were still clearly visible. A small ruckus could be heard in the direction of the training field as a stalwart Lee laboriously continued his workouts. "Sigh... don't you ever stop to take a break." Lee looked over as Neji finished speaking. Both he and Tenten sat comfortably on the grass, looking intently at their near exhausted teammate. "Hokage-sama told you not to overdo it, especially since your operation was so recent." He continued. "Youth doesn't wait for anyone!" Lee smirked before shooting into his nice guy pose, teeth glistening through his wide grin. "And besides, Gai-sensei said he's busy on an important mission, so we won't be doing anything until he's finished." Neji turned his head and looked over to the village, thoughts flooding his mind. "I wonder what he's doing?"

At the same time, Hinata, Kiba and Shino we're exploring the woods surrounding Konoha village. It had become a daily ritual that they often undertook when they weren't on missions or training. Shino would collect bugs to study while Kiba raced across the treetops, Akamaru at his side. Hinata simply watched as they continued about their business. It was a simple pleasure for her, to see her teammates happily pursue their hobbies. Shino often recomendeed that she find a special something of her own to do, but inside she knew that she already had. Once the three had finished, they started back towards Konoha. "Lets take a different route today!" Kiba shouted with enthusiasm. "Akamaru tired of seeing the same trees over and over again." The others nodded in agreement, even Akamaru yapped as if to comply. It would be nice to try a new route for a change.

As they walked through the peaceful woods, a small breeze blew gently across their path. The leaves shifted from side to side, creating a rasping sound as they touched one another. It was so calm, so peaceful, as though playing a melody all there own. The three then began to talk to one another. First about the weather and then about what they would do next once they were finished. "Kurenai said she had important work to do today" Shino started. "So I guess that means we have the day off!" Kiba smiled, as the thought of a good break flowed through his eager mind. Hinata remained silent, a worried look forming on her face. "What's the matter?" Shino paused in his tracks, waiting for his shy friend to answer. He was always good at reading the faces of his teammates, and was one of the only people who could tell when Hinata was troubled.

"Well, it's just ... when I was coming out of the village to meat you guys, I passed buy Shikamaru. He said he was meeting with Ino and Chouji for a barbecue because Asuma had an important task to do. Shino's eyebrows raised as he contemplated what Hinata had just told them. "Asuma too?" he thought quietly to himself. "I wonder what's going on." "Maybe it's just a coincidence" He then replied to her before he started walking again. Just then a voice sounded through the trees. "What are you guys doing out over here?" The gennin turned to see Shizune moving over to them, an exhausted look apparent on her face. "We were just taking a walk" replied a nervous Hinata. Shizune looked quietly at the three. They were dangerously close to stumbling on the clearing that was being investigated. "Please don't go any further this way, we are busy doing something very important. Would you kindly take another route back to the village?" Hinata, Kiba and Shino looked confusingly at each-other before turning around. They were all thinking the same thing. Something was definitely wrong. They had only travelled a small distance when Akamaru began to smell into the air. "Sniff , sniff." He quickly jumped into Kiba's jacket only allowing his head to pop out as he gave a fearful yelp. "What's wrong boy?" Kiba asked as he looked down at his quivering friend. He then looked up at the trees before closing his eyes. He took a small whiff of the air around him. His face tensed as the scent reached his sensitive nose. "What is it?" Shino enquired. "I don't know, but it isn't good. It smells like the fear of a cornered animal, like death.

Back at the hospital, an exhausted Sakura had just awoken, sitting up in the chair that had become her temporary sleeping place while she stayed at Naruto's side. "Finally awake?" Sasuke grinned as Sakura turned to face him. She could see the exhaustion in his eyes. "Was he awake all night?" she thought to herself as she looked upon his tired features. Sasuke had obviously felt guilty about falling asleep the first time his friend needed him, he didn't want to make the same mistake twice. Sakura looked back over to a motionless Naruto. He was still sleeping soundly, almost completely at ease. She continued to look on, waiting, hoping to see his eyes open once again. "I've also been waiting" Sasuke groaned as he stood up from his chair. "He hasn't stirred yet. I wonder if he'll even wake up today."

Just as he finished speaking a grumbling noise came from Naruto's mouth. His teammates quickly jumped to the side of his bed and watched on with anxious stares as he slowly began to open his eyes once again. As a blurry world slowly came back into focus he glanced to his side, only to see his two teammates standing by him. He turned his head away from them, hiding it in shame as he stared at the blank hospital wall in front of his eyes, tears starting to running down his cheeks. "Naruto?" But Naruto didn't respond. He had wished everything was just a bad dream, that it never happened. But he knew in his heart that it was all very real. Sakura watched on nervously, her thoughts skipping back to what had happened the first time he woke up. She waited in silence, ready to act if anything went wrong. But Naruto just lay there this time, his body quivering as a cold, harsh reality sank in.

"You had us worried" Sasuke mumbled. Naruto's body froze as his eyes widened in surprise. "Sasuke was worried about me?" he thought to himself as his eyes danced around, exploring the empty hospital wall. "Why would anyone care about me? I'll get Tsunade-sama." Sakura announced, walking over to the door. As she opened it to go out, she looked back at Naruto. His eyes seemed so empty, so lifeless, almost as though his soul had left him. She turned around and exited the room, leaving Sasuke and Naruto alone. There was almost an endless silence between the two, neither knowing what to say to one another. A few moments passed before Sasuke spoke. "I'm sorry." Naruto turned his head to see Sasuke sitting on the chair beside him, his head facing the ground. "I'm sorry I wasn't there to help you when you needed me." Sasuke looked back up to Naruto, his eyes filled with guilt and anger as the image of his suffering friend filled his mind.

Jiraiya, Kurenai and Shizune were still out at the clearing, having nearly completed there survey they began to clean up the debris that littered the floor. Kurenai gazed up at the sky to see a messenger hawk making its way over to there location. As it landed on her arm, she removed the message it was carrying. "It's Naruto" she anounced, gaining the attention of her two companions. "He's woken up. Hokage-sama wants us to head back there immediately." Jiraiya's face lit up with relief as he heard her read out the rest of the message. There was no time to waste, he had to see the boy who he had come to regard as his grandson. The three then made there way back to the hospital, knowing that the time to find out what really happened had now come.

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Dum dum dum. The next two chapters are going to be difficult for our heroes. Be ready for them soon! P.S. If you're sensitive to things like this you may want a hanky or two. :'( ...Okay, I don't know if I'm good enough to bring anyone to tears, but well see how it goes.

**NOTE:** I want to say thanks to xxnarufanxx. I appreciate that you take the time to review my chapters and I'm glad you're enjoying reading it. It makes it easier to write knowing someone appreciates your work. :) Thanks also to everyone else for the positive feedback I've received so far. :D


	8. Chapter 8 Remembrance

**Tears of Hope**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto, nor am I affiliated in any way with Naruto. I just like the show and mangas so I wrote this fanfic.

This fanfic belongs to me. If you want to use it in any way shape or form, you'll need my permission first.

I can't believe how attached to this story I am. This is the first time I've ever written something like this and I think its going very well. I just can't stop. Must... put... pen (keyboard) ...away. Nah!! :) Hope you're ready for the next two chapters. :'(

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**Chapter Eight - Remembrance**

Only a few minutes had passed since the messenger hawks Tsunade had sent out made their way to their destinations. "It won't be long before they arrive" she thought quietly to herself. Her mind became lost in thoughts as she readied herself for what would soon take place. She knew that what Kurenai had planned would be a painful and difficult experience for them to handle, but they didn't have any other choice. It had to be done. "Tsunade-sama?" A concerned Sakura gulped as she looked at Tsunade's fear stricken face. Tsunade mind snapped back into reality and she found herself sitting in the hospital room, Naruto lying on the bed in front of her. "I'm fine. I'm just a little tired" She replied softly, trying to comfort an worried Sakura.

Naruto lay quietly. He hadn't spoken since Tsunade had entered the room. She just watched him as his eyes wondered around, glancing up at the ceiling above him. She could still see the dried up tear stains that were present on his cheeks, his empty eyes haunting her mind. Just then a knocking sound came from the door. "Come in." Naruto stopped and turned to watch the door open. Jiraiya was the first to step through, his eyes searching eagerly to see his pupils face. Naruto's body tightened up as his sensei looked in his direction. Jiraiya let out a cry of relief as he made his way over to Naruto's side. "You're awake" he smiled as he put his hand out to touch his face. Naruto quickly turned his head away, his eyes squeezing tightly closed, almost as though it pained him when his sensei came near.

Jiraiya withdrew his hand and stepped back. It hurt him to see Naruto this way. He didn't see the same boy he had come to admire lying before him. The kid who was always smiling, always positive, even in the face of adversity. No, the boy that lay before him now had lost his will, he was terrified and alone. "What did they do to him" he thought to himself, his fist clenching tightly at his side. Kurenai, Asuma, Kakashi, Gai and Shizune followed in after him all positioning themselves across the room around Naruto, waiting quietly. "What are they all doing here?" Naruto thought quietly to himself, now becoming nervous as they all looked at him with troubling eyes. Sakura and Sasuke had also picked up on the bad vibe as their faces both filled with concern.

Tsunade glanced around for a moment and then noticed someone was missing. "Where's Iruka" she wondered, knowing that it was odd for him to have not arrived yet. Just then he came bursting through the door. "Sorry I'm late Hokage-sama, I had a difficult time leaving the academy" Iruka explained while giving an apologetic bow. He then walked over to an empty spot in the room and afforded himself a relieved glance at the now awake Naruto. Tsunade nodded her head, everyone was now accounted for, it was time to begin. She stood from her chair and cleared her throat before speaking. "You all know why we are here" she started before walking over to Naruto's bed, kneeling down beside him. She gently placed her hand on his arm and spoke softly. "Naruto, we need to find out what happened to you, to see who is responsible for putting you in this condition." Naruto turned to face her, a frown formed on his face before he replied. "I.. I don't.. I can't.. It was all to painful. Even if I tried to tell you, I wouldn't be able to." His voice was still dry and raspy as he tried to speak.

"I know you won't be able to tell us what happened" Tsunade replied softly. "Your mind will try to block out as much of that night as it can. That is why we need to go into your mind using a genjutsu. Its the only way to find out how this all took place." Tsunade knew that the human mind would often subconsciously suppress memories that where extremely traumatic. She had seen it countless times before during her life as a medical ninja. The genjutsu was the only way to proceed now.

Naruto turned his head to face the ceiling again. "It's going to hurt isn't it?" he choked. Tears formed in Tsunades eyes as she squeezed them tightly closed. He turned to face her as she nodded in answer. "It's the only way." She cried, opening her eyes again to see an upset Naruto looking back at her. Naruto lay quietly for a few moments before nodding. Tsunade then stood again and looked over to Kurenai, who proceeded to sit at the base of his bed. "I need you to sit up please Naruto." Naruto tried to push his body up, but he was in to much pain to move. A hand gripped his arm and helped him into an upright position. It was Sakura's. "OK, now I need you to look into my eyes." Kurenai explained before making a few hand seals. Naruto's eyes met hers just as the genjutsu started to take affect. Kurenai placed her hands on his shoulders, the world becoming dark around them.

Shizune approached cautiously and bent over to look at the two. She glanced first at Naruto's face, then Kurenai's. Both of their eyes were now closed and their faces seemed unusually relaxed, Kurenai's hands still sitting firmly atop Naruto's shoulders. "The genjutsu was successful" she sighed before standing upright again. "Good, it won't be long before it starts" Tsunade replied. She then turned to face Naruto's panic stricken teammates. "Perhaps you two should leave. This is going to be a painful experience and I don't know if it is a good idea for you to watch him." "No, we need to be here for him" Sasuke snapped back. "I wasn't there for him before, I'm not about to make the same mistake again." Sakura nodded in agreement. Both were adamant to see this through. "Very well." Tsunade looked around at the shinobi in the room. There eyes filled with anxiety, all watching, listening... waiting.

A small wind picked up as the late afternoon sun slowly disappeared out of view. A cheerful noise could be heard in the as a young boy called out across the distance. "Aren't you coming Sakura-chan" It was Naruto. "You two go on ahead, a just need to talk to kakashi sensei for a moment" Kurenei looked on as she saw the three waving goodbye to one another shortly before Naruto and Sasuke began to walk home. "The genjutsu worked" she thought to herself as she watched the two walk past her. Neither of them could see her though. It was only a memory after all, so she wouldn't be able to interfere with it in any way. She followed them as they slowly made their way down the street, trading words with one another. They looked so happy, so carefree. She then watched as Sasuke waved goodbye to Naruto. "Friend... he is my friend now isn't he?" he mumbled. "Why would that Uchiha kid be friends with a monster like you!" Kurenai snapped around to see the dark haired man walk from behind the corner. Naruto's nightmare was about to begin.

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Oo It breaks my heart to do this. :( :( :(

Please review!


	9. Chapter 9 A Nightmare Relived

**Tears of Hope**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto, nor am I affiliated in any way with Naruto. I just like the show and mangas so I wrote this fanfic.

Well it's done. The details of Naruto's ordeal are finally revealed. This is possibly the darkest chapter in the story. :'( :'( :'( But don't worry, Naruto may still yet see the light shining on the horizon. Kurenai's gonna have it rough in there. :'( :'( :'(

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**Chapter Nine - A Nightmare Re-lived**

A cold, dark wind began to blow across the streets of Konoha as the last remnants of sunlight slowly slipped away. Only an orange glow remained as the tip of the sun snuck below the horizon, giving darkness free reign over the night. The streets emptied as the villagers stole themselves away for the evening, taking shelter in their homes from the ensuing cold. But not all was quiet in the village of Konoha. The shuffling of feet, anguished and merciless, made their way to the front gates of the village, as a boys cries for mercy filled the icy evening air. Kurenai had watched hopelessly as the crowd had gathered on Naruto, a tall dark haired man at its lead. He walked over to the panic stricken boy, batting a wooden plank in his hand.

She tried to stand between them, desperately trying to halt his path. But he simply passed through her, as though nothing but a ghost. She turned around to watch as he looked down on Naruto, whose arms were being held in place by two villagers at his sides. "Shut up you little monster!" the man cried as he raised his weapon to strike the pleading boy, tears running down his cheeks. "Nghh!!" Naruto cried as the wooden stick came down and landed across the side of his face, the force of the blow almost toppling him over. "I said shut up!!" The man raised his hand a second time. Kurenai could only watch as he struck, again, over and over, while Naruto screamed in pain.

"Aaahhh!!" The sounds of Naruto's cries filled the small hospital room as the remaining shinobi watched on in anguish, a sickening look appearing on each of their faces. Nothing could have prepared them for what they were witnessing. Naruto's face tightened and shook as he winced in pain, tears running down from his closed eyes. "Stop it, please you have to stop it!" Sakura yelled as took a step towards the two her hand reaching out to put an end to his torture. A hand landed firmly on her should and pulled her back away. Sakura turned to see Kakashi's face. His mask couldn't hide the sorrow and anger he felt. He slowly shook his head, as if silently telling her to leave them be. "It's hard for him too" she thought to herself, tears now forming in her eyes. Sakura placed her head softly on Kakashi's chest, sinking it into his clothes. He stood their looking down at her as she allowed her tears to fall. "Sasuke isn't fairing much better" Kakashi thought to himself as he caught a glimpse of the gennin's tightening fist. Sasuke tried desperately to contain his anger, his frustration. his ... helplessness. "Why am I never strong enough to protect my friends?" he wondered to himself, as thoughts of their battle with Gaara popped into his mind. "I couldn't protect them then and now I have to stand and watch while Naruto suffers like this." Asuma glanced over at Kurenai's face as it contorted in anguish. He couldn't help but worry about her. "What are you seeing in there?" He thought quietly to himself.

The sound of breaking glass and splintering sticks echoed across the walls of the village as the crowd walked towards the gates of Konoha. Naruto's wrists had been bound in front of him with a long rope, the mob using it to pull him along. Stones and insults were thrown without mercy as violent jerks tugged on the rope, bringing him closer to their destination. Kurenai walked beside the battered boy as they exited the village, her eyes unable to look away as the villagers struck him on his back and legs. She wasn't easily coerced into tears, but she finally allowed them to fall as she witnessed the cruelty being shown to him. "Not so tough after all!" one of the villagers shouted before kicking Naruto to the ground. The rest stopped and laughed at the humiliating sight as he continued to kick the fallen boy. After a few more villagers had joined in, the ringleader shouted out in anger. "There will be plenty of time for fun once we enter the woods!" He yelled before walking over to Naruto. He grabbed hold of the Naruto's collar and dragged the crying boy up to his feet. Naruto winced in pain as the man shoved him forward. "Keep walking if you know what's good for you!"

The mob followed out of the village gates and into the nearby woods. A small glimmer of moonlight crept through the densely overgrowth, the leaves shuffling and swaying in the cold night wind. Kurenai followed them as they entered a clearing in the woods, her eyes widening in fear as she glanced at a familiar scene. "This is where Sakura found Naruto" she thought to herself, knowing that the worst was about to begin. The ringleader walked up to the tree where Naruto had been found, a torch burning brightly in his hand. "This is where the monster pays for his crimes!" he shouted, before planting it firmly into the ground, the flames flickering wildly in the wind. The villagers took the rope that had bound Naruto's hands and threw it over an extended branch. They then pulled it tightly, raising his hands into the air. "P..please... y..you don't have to do this. I didn't do what you think. Please l..l..let me go!" "Naruto pleaded as his body quivered in the cold night air. His cloths had been badly torn as the villagers beat him and it no longer protected him from the dangerous, icy chill.

Kurenai watched on as they scoffed at Naruto's cries, pulling down further on the rope until his feet hovered above the ground. "Why can't they see... why can't they see that he's just a kid. He's just a boy who's scared and alone." She thought to herself as she looked over at him. She wished that she could do something... anything to end his torment. "No, its only a memory!. It isn't real, it isn't real!" she reminded herself. But it all felt so real, so... hopeless. The villagers gathered around Naruto, who was now completely at their mercy. Each began to take a swing at him, while the young boy squirmed in anguish. One after the other they continued to strike, without any remorse or hesitation. Some used sticks and branches, while other carried glass bottles or chains. Foul curses were spat at the young boy, etching themselves into his heart as he endured the pain. "No-one cares about you! Why would anyone want a monster like you as a friend! Monsters don't deserve foolish dreams like becoming Hokage." Kurenai didn't know what hurt Naruto more, the physical beatings, or the torturous words that fell upon his ears. "Stop it!!" Kurenai cried as she watched the cruel torture taking place. "Stop it, Stop it!! STOP IT!!"

Tsunade's eyes shot over to Kurenai as she heard the cries coming out of her mouth. Tears now formed down the jounins face, her hands squeezing tightly on Naruto's shoulders. The young gennin also continued to whelp in pain as tears flooded from his closed eyes. "What have I done?! What have I put Naruto through?!" She cursed at herself as she looked around the room. The elite jounin we're trained to hide their emotions even in the face of overwhelming adversity. What was happening to cause Kurenai to loss control?

After what felt like an eternity of torture had taken place, the crowd backed away. Naruto now hung quietly, swaying in the wind. His body was full of cuts and bruises, and his eyes were barely able to keep themselves open any longer. Kurenai had collapsed to her knees, the pain of seeing Naruto's torture having overwhelmed her. A young woman walked over to the broken body that hung before them, took out a kunai and cut the bounds that held him up. As his limp body collapsed to the floor, Kurenai crawled over to where he lay. She wanted to put her hand on his arm, to just let him know that he wasn't alone, that she was there for him. But she couldn't. He was alone and Kurenai could do nothing to ease his pain, it was already to late for that. She placed her hand on his cold cheeks, gently stroking them as she looked into his empty painfulled eyes. As she gazed into them, her heart sank in despair. "He's still conscious" she thought to herself as his cold, blue eyes glimmered, inching from side to side.

"So you're still not done?" a cold voice sounded as the dark haired man walked up to Naruto's quivering body. "Well then, well just have to try bit harder!" He smirked. The boy's torture resumed as the mob once again beat him where he lay. Kurenai just lay there next to him, not wanting to leave his side. His body was no longer able to move. He hardly made a single sound as hateful blows landed on their mark. "After a final wave of assaults ended the ringleader kicked Naruto over onto his stomach. "It's time for the fun to end" he scoffed, turning away as a villager tied Naruto's hands behind his back. They didn't even bother to move him as a noose slid around his neck. "No! Nooo!!" Kurenai yelped, jumping to her feat. The other end of the rope was thrown over the same extended branch that held Naruto up moments before. The villagers tugged at it once again, pulling on Naruo's neck. A soft whelp was heard as his air supply was squeezed closed. Kurenai watched in horror as the boy's feat left the ground, rising higher and higher into the air. His face became lifeless as his body tightened in desperation. Her vision of him blurred as tears filled Kurenai's eyes. "Naruto!!"

"Kurenai!" A sudden voice sounded in Kurenai's mind as she snapped back into reality. As light once again started to fill her eyes she found herself sitting in the hospital room, Naruto lying on the bed in front of her. A hand tightly squeezed her shoulder, shaking it back and forth as if to wake a sleeping child. "Kurenai, are you alright?" She turned to see Tsunade standing behind her before she lifted her hand from her shoulder. "I..." she mumbled, trying to desperately find words, but none came. Kurenai put her hands up to her cheeks to feel tears running down the side. "Naruto?" She yelped turning back to look at the boy, now lying motionless on his back, tears still clinging to his face. "He lost consiousness just as you we're coming out of the jutsu" Tsunade said as she walked over to feel his head." He should be fine, but... but I'm afraid that I may have made a mistake by allowing this to happen." Tsunades face filled with sorrow as she finished speaking. Her eyes locking onto the form of the precious person that lay before her.

Kurenai stood up from the base of the bed and turned to look around her. The faces she saw were filled with anguish, at having witnessed Naruto's pain. But the worst pain could be seen in the eyes of Sakura and Sasuke, who were now all but finished. "It wasn't a mistake. It had to be done." Everyone turned to Jiraiya as he finished his words. "I know it's painfull for us all. I, for one found it especially difficult to see Naruto like that. But If we hadn't done it, Naruto would never be saved from the dark fate that has visited itself upon him." Jiraiya glanced around the room. Everyone seemed to agree with him, although it was hard to express at the time. Tsunade gazed sorrowfully at her old friend and teammate before turning to Kurenai.

"When you're ready, Kurenai, I would like you to give us a detailed report on what you saw. " She finished before dismissing the shinobi in front of her. Silence enveloped the hospital room once more as they slowly made their way out the door. Tsunade and Jiraiya were the only ones that remained. The two just stood quietly, both looking at the boy who had become a precious person to them. The two legendary Sannin would do anything they could to protect him. Their wrath would soon be visited upon those who would try to do him harm.

--

That was so hard!! ARRRGGGHHHH!! My heart felt like it was going to sink into despair. But I had to do it! I had to for the sake of the story. :'( :'( :'(  
Naruto will really need his friends now if he is going to pull through this one.

Please review!! I hope you're enjoying the story!!


	10. Chapter 10 Retrospect

**Tears of Hope**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto, nor am I affiliated in any way with Naruto. I just like the show and mangas so I wrote this fanfic.

This fanfic belongs to me. If you want to use it in any way shape or form, you'll need my permission first.

Well on to the next chapter. I've finally hit the big 10! :D (Shakes ass) I hope everyone is enjoying the story.

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**Chapter Ten - Retrospect**

An empty silence filled the Hokage's office as the gathered shinobi slowly exited the door. Their faces filled with sorrow after having just heard Kurenai's detailed report on what she had witnessed in Naruto's mind. A few hours had passed since Kurenai's genjutsu had taken place and the afternoon sun was already making its way to the horizon. Sakura and Sasuke had remained at the hospital, watching over a still unconscious Naruto.

Tsunade gazed out from her door as the rest of them made there way down the hallway, Shizune waving them off as they made their way out the building. As they walked down the hallway Asuma strode up beside Kurenai, a concerned look evident on his face. "So?" he mumbled trying desperately to find the words. "It ... it must have been hard for you in there." Kurenai looked up at him with saddened eyes, she was clearly upset about the whole ordeal. "When I saw him in there, when I saw how cruel those villagers were to him, I couldn't bare it anymore." Kurenai's head bowed in shame before she continued speaking. "You know... I also used to see him that way." Asuma's eyes turned to face the floor. Guilt slowly overcame him as he quietly affiliated himself with what Kurenai had just said. "I used to think he was nothing but trouble. He was always pulling pranks and making a mess, always causing trouble for those around him. I never managed to see that it was all just a desperate cry for attention."

"Tears filled her eyes as she bared her soul to the jounin next to her, lifting a heavy guilt off her anguished heart. "It all changed during the Chuunin exams" she continued. "That was when I saw the real Naruto, during his first fight against Kiba. He showed the courage and determination to never give up, even when it looked like all was lost. It was then that I realised that he was just like any other kid. He also had hopes and dreams that he aspired to fulfill. He even helped Hinata find her own confidence in herself. Thats why... thats why I will do what I can to protect him!" Asuma put his arm around Kurenai as she sobbed her guilt away. Naruto had always been their when others needed him. He didn't deserve the cruel fate that he received.

Once they had disappeared from view, Tsunade turned to go back to her desk, closing the door behind her. Her mind was still going through everything Kurenai had just told them, still trying to digest the harsh truth that ate away at her soul. Tears started to form in her eyes as images of Naruto's suffering played over and over through her mind. Her fists clenched tightly beside her as a furious wrath began to manifest in her suffering heart.

"Aaaahhhh!!" A massive sound echoed through the halls of the Hokage tower as Tsunades fist came crashing down on the table in front of her, it's form buckling under her devastating strength. She picked up a piece of shattered remains and hurled it against the nearby wall. Violent sounds of destruction could be heard down the hallway as Tsunade proceeded to tear the entire room apart. Even the ANBU guards stepped away from the door in fear as the cries of a terrible fury continued to emerge from the room. "What's going on?" They turned to see Shizune standing there, having heard the ensuing commotion. Just then a large piece of furniture came bursting though the door, shattering it into hundreds of pieces.

Silence followed as the three stood there, looking at the debris lying in the hallway. Sobs sounded from inside the Hokages office as Shizune walked up to the now non-existent doorway, leaning to peer inside. Tsunade was kneeling in the middle of the destroyed room. Her hands pushing against the floor as tears fell from her face. "Tsunade-sama?!" Shizune gulped as she walked up to her teacher. "I wasn't there to protect him, I wasn't there when he needed me!" She cried. Shizune knelt beside her and placed her arm over her shoulder, comforting her as best as she could. The two just stayed there, letting the tears fall as the last glimmers of sunlight fell away from sky.

Sounds of cheer and laughter resounded in the air as the smell of cooked food carried across an open room. As night fell on the village of Konoha, her restaurants filled with all manner of customers, cheerfully drinking a hard days work away, allowing themselves some long earned rest. Tonight Tsunade was one such person, sitting sternly at an open table, quietly thinking about the day's events. She just needed to get away from it all, to give her mind time to collect itself. A waitress approached the brooding Hokage and carefully asked for her order. "Sake please and make it quick!" She snapped, scaring the young girl as she wrote down the order. "y..yes m..mam!" She answered before turning to retrieve it. She was back in a flash, placing the small alcoholic drink down on the table. Tsunade grabbed the cup and quickly gulped it's contents down, before slamming it back onto the surface. "Another one!" she grumbled, sending the worried girl of to the counter once again.

As she sat there waiting, the sound of talk and laughter filled the air. Friends conversed as they ate and drank together, passing by the time with laughter and cheers. But the cold words of a nearby patron caught the attention of Tsunade's ear. "I heard that the monster child was attacked not to long ago. Ha ha ha! Serves him right if you ask me. Too bad they couldn't finish him off!" Tsunades mind snapped as the last few words the man spoke fell onto her ears. An inner rage ignited in her soul as she jumped up to her feet and tossed the table in front of her aside. "What did you say?!" She growled, walking over to the now alert man and cracking her knuckles in the palm of her hand. "Hokage-sama, I...I didn't see you there. We were just talking!" But his words fell on deaf ears.

As the cool night air blew down the gently lit streets of the village, Jiraiya had made his way into its heart, searching around amongst its occupants. He had been trying to find Tsunade for quite some time now. He knew when she was upset about what had happened and he wanted to talk to her about it. "It isn't normally this difficult to find her?" He thought to himself, knowing that Tsunade's destructive personality meant she was normally clear giveaway. Just as he had finished his thoughts a crashing sound came from inside the nearby restaurant. "Hmm, I wonder?" he thought to himself as he approached the source of the commotion. "WHAM!" A large burst of dust exploded out from the wall as a limp figure flew through the once solid structure. "I guess that's her" Jiraiya sighed as he saw an irate Tsunade stepping through the newly formed entrance. She walked over to the motionless body lying on the floor and grabbed the collar of her unfortunate prey lifting him off the ground. Monster! Monster! I'll show you a monster!" She screamed as she raised her fist to finish the job.

"That's enough Tsunade!" Tsunade turned around to see Jiraira looking disappointingly at her. "This isn't going to help Naruto at all!" He continued folding his arms in front of him. Tsunade looked back at the man's face, fear filled his eyes as she stared blankly into them. Her fist began to relax before she tossed the man onto the floor beside her. "Call a medic over!" she shouted back into the restaurant. "He'll be in hospital for a while before he's able to walk again!" Tsunade then turned to Jiraiya, his face was plastered with a blank look as he sighed at the sight before him. "You really should learn to control your temper" he scoffed as Tsunade walked slowly past him. She stopped right behind him, pausing, waiting, neither of them turning to look at one another.

"It isn't your fault you know." Tsunades turned around as Jiraiyas soft words reached into her heart, trying to ease the guilt she felt inside. "But... but I should have seen this coming, I should have watched him more closely!" she snapped back. "You have a responsibility to the village. How can you take care of it and Naruto all at the same time?" Jiraiya's words struck true. Tsunade bowed her head, staring blankly at the ground. Jiraiya then turned to face Tsunade and slowly walked towards her, placing his hand on her shoulder. "You can't always be there to protect Naruto" he spoke softly. "Right now he needs friends that will be there for him if he's going to prosper in this cruel world of ours. We'll need to inform the other gennin about the situation." Jiraiya placed his hand under Tsunades chin lifting her face so that her eyes met his before continuing. "We may... we may even have to tell them about the Kyuubi sealed inside Naruto." "What?" Tsunade replied, her eyes widening in surprise. "But if they learn about the Kyuubi, they might begin to hate him as well, he may lose the only friends he has." Jiraiya removed his hands from Tsunades shoulder and folded them back in front of him. "They will never be able to help Naruto if they don't understand why he's in so much pain. If they are truly his friends, then they will stand by him no matter what. "Tsunade paused for a moment before nodding in agreement. "I guess you're right. It may be the only choice we have at this time."

An eerie silence fell on the empty hallways of the Konoha hospital. It's narrow passages echoed with the sounds of creaking as the cool night air sank into the walls. A lone shadowy figure slowly made it's way to the room that held Naruto, quietly approaching the door. He reached out to the handle with one hand, while pulling a kunai out from under his cloak. A murderous chill fulled the dark hallway as the door slowly creaked open. "I hope that's a gift you're carrying. The man turned in surprise to see who was there. It was Kakashi, standing calmly behind him, A serious look engraved upon his face. "He must having been hiding out of view" the man thought to himself, quickly placing his weapon away. "In case you didn't realize, visiting hours are over" Kakashi continued. "I'm sorry, that is my mistake, I'll be leaving then." Kakashi looked on as the figure walked down the hallway, before disappearing from view. "This could be dangerous!"

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There be trouble in the future for Naruto. But now everyone is ready to protect him. I'll try to upload new chapters soon, but I don't know if there will be another one today. :(  
There'll be more Naruto in the next chapter!!

Please review!! Feedback is always good to have!!


	11. Chapter 11 Concerns

**Tears of Hope**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto, nor am I affiliated in any way with Naruto. I just like the show and mangas so I wrote this fanfic.

More Naruto time! And his fiends are trying to help him through his plight. Hope you enjoy the chapter!

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**Chapter Eleven - Concerns**

The smell of steaming ramen filled the hospital hallways, creeping into every nook and cranny as its rich aroma escaped Naruto's room. Inside a frantic Sakura checked to see that she had gotten everything the exact way Naruto always liked it. "You need to add more pork" Iruka laughed as he watched her tirelessly prepare her friends favorite dish. Sasuke just smirked as he watched his teammates clumsy hands wavering over the hot bowl of food she was preparing for Naruto. It was morning again and the light of a new day brightened the room with its pleasant glow, almost as if to wash away the trials of the previous night. The ninja academy was closed for the weekend, so Iruka was able to visit his favorite pupil without any worries or attachments. Naruto lay quietly in his bed, having not moved since he had entered the genjutsu the previous day.

"You'd think the smell of ramen would wake that boy up" Sakura scoffed as she finished her preparations. "Although we are lucky that Tsunade-sama allowed us to prepare his food in here." Iruka couldn't help but admire the scene that played out before his eyes. "You forgot something" Sasuke murmured as he walked over to Sakura's side. He grabbed the bowl of soup next to her and poured it over the noodles. "You know it's only ready when you mix the two together" he continued, a blushing Sakura watching on as he stood next to her. "Well this is unexpected. Sasuke was always so uncaring when he was in the ninja academy" Iruka thought to himself as he watched on in a warm hearted amusement. "Naruto, your friends are really here for you"

The room fell quiet as the now finished meal was placed on a tray table in front of the still sleeping Naruto. Sakura resumed her position next to Naruto's bed while Iruka and Sasuke watched intently from there stance at the window. All of them waited, staring, hoping for Naruto to wake up to the smell of his favorite dish. A small grunt escaped his barely open lips as his body slowly came back to life. His eyes inched open and gazed upon the scene set before him. "Naruto, you're awake!" Sakura yelped as she watched his head lean forward to see the breakfast set lying in front of him. The tension in the room immediately fell away as a sudden sense of relief overcame its occupants. Iruka smiled at site of Naruto finally moving once again. "You sure know how to keep people worried" he smirked as Naruto's head turned to face him. "Your friends have prepared your favorite dish for you today!" Sakura jumped up in surprise, she had almost forgotten about the ramen waiting on the tray. "Oh, let me help you" she squirmed as she slowly raised the back support to a slanted angle, allowing Naruto to sit slightly more upright. His injuries were still severe and he wasn't yet able to move his body, let alone his arms.

Sakura then grabbed the nearby chopsticks and seated herself next to Naruto once more. She clasped some noodles in between them and held it gently in front of his mouth. Naruto's eyes widened. "Why? Why are they doing this for me? Why are they being so kind? He thought to himself as his eyes fell upon the three shinobi standing in his room. Tears started to form in Naruto's eyes as he lay there, staring at the food held in front of him. He then turned his head away, avoiding it as Sakura tried to feed him. "Whats wrong Naruto?" she murmered, pulling her hand away from him again. Naruto just lay their, tears still streaming down his face. "You haven't eaten in three days, please you must have some food." She pleaded trying once again to place the warm ramen near Naruto's mouth. But he just turned his head again. "We're trying to help you Naruto!" Sasuke scoffed as he watched the scene unfold.

"No-one wants to help me" Naruto choked as his sobs interspersed with his words. "That's not true, your friends are here to do what they can." Naruto turned his head to see Iruka speak. The tormenting voices of his assailants played through his mind. "That's only because they don't know what I am. But you know Iruka-sensei. You know why I deserved what happened to me. I shouldn't be alive, I should have been left to die that night. No-one wants me anyway!" Naruto cried, his voice scratching and rasping as he went on. A look of confusion overcame Sakura and Sasuke as they listened to Naruto's words. "What does he mean?" they thought to themselves as he continued to speak. "I don't deserve hopes and dreams. I'm just a...

"That's enough!" Iruka barked. Naruto froze at his sensei's raising voice, a stunned silence forming over his face. He had never seen Iruka lose his temper like that before. "I... I'm sorry Naruto, I didn't mean to shout" he softly apologized. "It's just that I don't want to ever here you say that about yourself. Please eat some food. Naruto looked quietly at the three as they waited desperately for him to comply. "I don't see the point. I'll just be hunted and tortured again" Naruto's eyes closed in anguish as the memories of his ordeal glimmered back into his mind. He didn't want to go through that hellish nightmare again. Anything was better than the pain he experienced that night. Even death.

The sharp clatter of high-heeled shoes sounded down the hallways of the Hokage tower as Tsunade and Shizune made there way to her office. As they entered the door a patiently waiting Kakashi met their eyes. "I see you've got a new desk. What happened to the other one?" Tsunade paused in front of him, surprised to see him there so early in the morning. "Something's wrong" She blurted, knowing that it was unusual for him to have been their unless he was troubled. "Kakashi put away the 'Make out Paradise' book that sat firmly in his hands and nodded. "There was someone at the hospital last night and I think he intended to harm Naruto." Tsunade walked over to her chair and planted herself in it, her elbows resting firmly on the clean new table while her thumbs twiddled together.

"Did you get a good look at him?" She asked with a worried sigh. "He was wearing a dark cloak so I never managed to get a good glimpse. But I could tell by the way he moved that he wasn't a villager." Tsunade knew what Kakashi was getting at, he didn't even have to say another word. "So there are shinobi who are after Naruto as well." Shizune gulped at the sound of what she heard. Defending Naruto from an angry mob was one thing, but it was another matter entirely when there are other ninjas involved. The three looked at each-other quietly before Tsunade spoke. "I want you to tell Gai, Asuma and Kurenai to explain Naruto's situation to the other rookies. They need to know about what happened to him as soon as possible." With that, Kakashi disappeared in a flash of smoke. "I only hope it will make a difference in the upcoming days."

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What will happen next?? Read to find out!! :)

And don't forget to review please. I like to hear what people think of my stories.


	12. Chapter 12 Bad News

**Tears of Hope**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto, nor am I affiliated in any way with Naruto. I just like the show and mangas so I wrote this fanfic.

More Naruto time! And his fiends are trying to help him through his plight. Hope you enjoy the chapter!

Well, as you can tell from the previous chapter, the stage has been set for future confrontations. Things are about to get allot more heated in the upcoming chapters so keep reading. :)

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**Chapter Twelve - Bad News**

The gentle sound of running water sounded as the suns warm rays shimmered off its ever moving surface. As it slowly flowed under the small bridge that led to the training grounds, three nervous feet shuffled slowly forwards, anxiously making there way to the open field where there Sensei was to meet them. Hinata nervously poked her fingers together as she thought back to their journey into the woods and the ill omen felt while there. "What has Kurenai called us out for?" she wondered to herself as they crossed the wooden bridge. Kiba noticed her fiddling and tried to calm her down.

"You know, Kurenai's probably just going to give us some sort of mission or training exercise, there's no need to worry." Hinata turned to look at Kiba as he tried to reassure her. "You're probably right" she sighed hoping that he was speaking the truth. "I'm not so sure about that." Shino murmured, gaining the attention of his two companions. He was never one to bend his words and always spoke what was on his mind. "Kurenai wouldn't normally call us to the training field for a briefing." He continued. "This is out of character for her, there's something up." The three of them felt a small fear coming over them as they slowly entered the training ground. Kurenai was already there and she had a concerned look on her face.

"You're probably wondering why you're here" she started as the three came to a stop in front of her. They didn't even have to respond, there answer was written all over their nervous faces. "It's... It's Naruto Uzumaki, something bad has happened to him." Hinata's heart froze as the word of her sensei reached her ear. Fear struck her as she tried desperately to speak, but she was to afraid to ask what happened to him for fear of the answer she might receive. Kurenai noticed her pupil's anxiety and spoke quickly to reassure her. "Don't worry, he's recovering in hospital as we speak, there are people watching him, constantly checking that he's alright." Hinata blew a sigh of relief, her teammates seemingly doing the same thing as the Kurenai spoke. "What happened? When did it happen?" Kiba grumbled with a serious tone in his voice. "It was three days ago. He was attacked by a mob of villagers while walking home alone. When Sakura found him he was in a critical condition."

The three gennin where shocked beyond belief, there eyes widening as Kurenai explained the way in which Naruto was found. Kiba placed his hand on a sobbing Hinata, squeezing it gently to comfort her while the hyuuga's tears fell to the ground. As Kurenai finished there was a deftly silence. So that was the foul omen they had sensed when they where out in the woods. "But why...why would they attack Naruto-kun?" Hinata sobbed. "What did he do wrong?" Kurenai looked at the three gennin, they all had the same look on their face, the same questions running through there minds. "It's... complicated. It's not that he did anything wrong, it's just the way they see him." Kurenai's words infuriated Shino, who couldn't understand the thought of someone being attacked just because of what people saw in him. "It's those eyes!" Everyone looked confusingly at Hinata as she spoke. "Those eyes that keep looking at Naruto-kun with hatred in them. Every day at the academy, when our parents came to pic us up, I saw that look in their eyes when Naruto was nearby." Kurenai came to a realisation as Hinata spoke. She was the first to notice Naruto's pain, she was the first person to acknowledge his existence.

As the three walked back into the streets of Konoha, the news of Naruto's condition sinking into there hearts, they walked past the hospital which kept him inside. Hinata suddenly stopped in her tracks, right outside the hospital's walls. Kiba and Shino followed suite and looked back at their companion who simply stared at the ground before her. "I need to see for myself" she murmured, raising her gaze from the floor. Shino gave a affirmative nod, before Hinata began to act. "Byakugan!!" As Hinata said those words, the veins leading to her eyes grew large, her pupils widening as she activated her clans bloodline technique. Her eyes pierced the hospital walls and searched around, trying to find their way to Naruto's room. "N..no!" Hinata collapsed to her knees at the sight of the young boy. He had multiple fracture's throughout his bandaged body, indicating recently mended broken bones and the marks of the cuts and bruises he received where still clearly visible to her eyes. "It's that bad huh?" Kiba gulped, watching the young girl crying in front of her.

"So you guys have heard about it to." The three turned to see Neji, Lee and Tenten walking up to them, all baring the same faces, the same feeling as they had. Gai had told them all about the situation as well. Shino and Kiba just nodded while a distraught Hinata continued to sob. "Well this is troublesome!" All of them heard Shikimaru as he, Ino and Chouji also walked into view. "Naruto?" Chouji murmured. All of them nodded in affirmation. They had all come there for the same reason, hoping to see Naruto. But after watching Hinata break down, they weren't to sure if they wanted to anymore. "They just stood there, quietly waiting for someone to speak. The same questions running through there minds. "Why would someone do this to Naruto?"

After a few minutes of standing there, Ino finally broke the silence. "Where are Sasuke and Sakura?" "They are inside with Naruto. Iruka-sensi is also with them" Hinata answered while picking herself up from the floor. "They are trying to look after Naruto-kun, but he doesn't seem to want to be helped." The other's looked on as Hinata spoke. "His eyes" her voice went soft. "His eyes look so empty, like he's lost the will to live." Neji looked up at the hospital window, the bright sun reflected warmly of it's surface. Naruto wasn't the one to give up so easily. Neji learned that the hard way when he fought him in the Chuunin exams. "What happened to him to make him lose his spirit?" He thought quietly to himself.

After a few more minutes of talking, the gennin went there separate ways. Thoughts ran through their minds as they all wondered about Naruto. About how to help him. How to cheer him up and make him smile again. A smile that had changed all of their lives for the better, in one way or another. All of them had come to grow fond of Naruto. Even though he was unbearably annoying at times, he had a strange ability to bring a change in peoples lives. He could always bring a smile to another persons face, to lift them out of despair when no-one else could help. They knew that Naruto was an important person to all of them and they had to bring him out of the darkness that ate away at his soul.

Kakashi, Kurenai, Asuma and Gai had watched it all take place, gazing down from the nearby roof. It was done. They only hoped that it was enough to protect Naruto from the dangers that he faced. As they disappeared in a sudden flash, menacing eyes peered out from the nearby darkened alleyway having witnessed the scene. Cold words escaped it's rasping mouth. "So, there are more nuisances to overcome now. I have to report this to Saiaku-sama immediately."

--

Dum, dum, dum! Will Tsunade tell the others about the Kyuubi? What will Naruto's friends do to help him? Who is Saiaku and what does he want with Naruto? Find out in the upcoming chapters.

lol :)


	13. Chapter 13 A Truth Revealed

**Tears of Hope**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto, nor am I affiliated in any way with Naruto. I just like the show and mangas so I wrote this fanfic.

This fanfic belongs to me. If you want to use it in any way shape or form, you'll need my permission first.

Hey everyone. This chapter was a bit difficult for me. But I still managed to pull it together. I hope you enjoy it!!

--

**Chapter Thirteen - A Truth Revealed**

"Ngghh!!" Small winces of pain resounded throughout Naruto's hospital room as the young boy lay uncomfortably, shuffling and tightening while Tsunade removed the bandages that covered his upper body. A few days had passed since the remaining Rookie Twelve had been informed about the attack on Naruto and his wounds had recovered quite a bit over that time. "Looks like we might be able to release you from the hospital soon "Tsunade smiled as she carefully unwrapped one of the bandages around Naruto's arm, trying not to bump the drip that had been placed in it. Naruto had refused to eat any food at all, so Tsunade was forced to have it inserted for nourishment as a precaution.

"There, all done!" she finally finished, looking over Naruto to check his wounds. He didn't say a word. He just lay their staring at the shelf beside him. Tsunade looked to where his eyes wondered and grinned at what she saw. "Looks like you've had quite a few visitors lately" she smiled as she glanced at the gifts fulling the once empty shelf. There were flowers and 'get well' cards sitting atop the wooden structure, adding colour too the otherwise dull and empty room. Hinata had even brought in some ointment for Naruto to use, the same kind she had given him during the chunin exams after his fight with Kiba. A few other items were present, including training weights from Lee, a 'Make out paradise' book from Jiraiya and a bag of crisps from Chouji.

They were all very sentimental gifts, given to remind Naruto of how important he was to them. Tsunade looked back into Naruto's eyes. They were still so sad, so empty. "Naruto... your friends are worried about you. Please you need to try and..." "No." Naruto cut her off. "They are worried about someone they don't even know. They don't see what I really am. If they knew about the Kyuubi, then they would hate me as well. I'm tired of having to hide what's inside of me away from them, but I'm too afraid of what they would do if I told them about it." Tsunade looked longingly at the boy as he poured his heart out. She lifted her hand, put it against his cheeks and turned his head to face her. "I saw who you really were." Naruto's eyes welled up as the words left Tsunade's mouth. "I knew about the Kyuubi inside of you the moment I met you, but that isn't who I saw when I looked at the brave boy who wanted to become Hokage. You opened up my eyes as well. You showed me that no matter how bad life gets, you can still lift yourself off the floor and keep going." Tsunade stood slowly before finishing. "Please think carefully about what I've said." And with those words, Tsunade walked out the door. She had made up her mind. It was time to reveal the truth about Naruto to his friends.

A silent commotion spread throughout Tsunade's office as it filled with the gennin teams she had summoned there. Quiet whispers floated between them as they tried to figure out why the Hokage had called them all in at the same time. A sudden silence fell over the room as Tsunade entered through the door, making her way over to her desk before sitting down. She assumed her usual position with her elbows on her desk and her hands clasped together. "I've called you all here for a very important reason" She started, calling the attention of the shinobi present. All of the rookie twelve stood in front of her except Naruto, who was still in the hospital. "I assume you've all been informed about the attack on Naruto?" A unanimous nod formed in the ranks of the curious genin as they waited for Tsunade to continue. "Then I'm sure your all wondering why it happened to him." Tsunade looked around the room. Everyone was staring intently at her, waiting to hear what she had to say. "Very well. It's time you heard the truth about the attack that occurred on Konoha twelve years ago, when the Nine tailed monster fox almost destroyed our village."

As Tsunade revealed the true events of the kyuubi's attack, how many ninja had lost their lives defending the village and how the Fourth Hokage finally managed to seal it away in a baby who had just had it's umbilical cord cut, looks of surprise fulled the faces of the young shinobi in front of her. "So the baby boy who had the fox sealed in him" Sakura gulped. "Yes. That boy is Naruto." Sudden gasps of shock filled the room as Tsunade's words sank into the minds of Naruto's friends. "I know this may be hard to take in, but its all true. We also have reason to believe that there are those out there who still wish to harm him. The question is what will you do, now that you know about this?" Tsunade looked on as the genin pondered on her question. The room stayed deftly quiet until Sakura finally spoke. "If the fox is sealed in Naruto, then that would explain why the villagers treat him like they do" she murmured, scratching her chin in thought. "But that's unfair, Naruto didn't do anything wrong! He never chose to have the Kyuubi sealed inside him!" "However, that also means Naruto could still be dangerous" Ino replied. "That's why my father always told me to be careful of him. What if he hurts someone, what if..." "No, he wouldn't" Hinata cut Ino off before she could go any further. "Naruto-kun is a kind person, he would never purposely hurt one of his friends."

"She's right!" Everyone turned to see Neji speaking before he continued speaking. "I think I have an idea of what Naruto must be feeling." Neji's words surprised everyone listening, except Hinata, who new what the young boy was about to say. "I also used to feel like an outcast, like the only reason for my existence was to be used as a tool by the Hyuuga clan. To them, I was expendable if it meant preserving the clans best wishes. I felt isolated and alone, so I began to hate everyone, even my own cousin." Neji looked over to Hinata with guilt in his eyes. "I hurt my own family trying venting out my anger and frustration, I guess one could say that I was a monster too!" Neji's eyes wondered around the room, trying desperately to latch onto something, to focus on it as he poured out his heart. "But Naruto saved me from that nightmare." He continued. "He showed me that I could make my own destiny, that I didn't have to live in that lonely hell. Now I realise I've had it easy compared to him. But knowing how he must feel, It's only right that we should help him, the way he's always done his best to help all of us as well."

Tsunade glanced around the room as everyone nodded in acknowledgment, bowing their heads to he ground. They all felt ashamed at having not noticed Naruto's plight earlier and began to talk about how they would work to make things better. How they would do there best to protect Naruto and would stand by him despite what anyone else thought. Tsunade smiled as she overheard the vows they all made right in front of her. "There may be hope for Naruto after all" she thought to herself. The only one who remained quiet was Sasuke. "What about you Sasuke?" Sakura asked as she turned to the Uchiha, noticing that he hadn't said a word throughout the entire meeting. "Sasuke?" she murmured again. The room went silent as everyone turned in his direction, waiting for him to say something... anything. He just turned his back to them and walked out the room. "Sasuke wait!" Sakura screamed as she chased out the door to follow him.

As the glimmering water slowly flowed under the small wooden bridge, Sasuke's eyes once again gazed quietly at his lone reflection, shimmering and wavering atop its surface. "Sasuke!" Sasuke carried on staring down as Sakura slowly approached him from behind. She quietly stepped next to him and looked down at their reflections bellow them. She could see the confusion on his face as it shone up from the waters surface. They both stood there quietly, neither saying a word to one another. "So that's why!"Sasuke finally murmured. "That's why he's after him!" Sakura looked confusingly over at Sasuke as he spoke. "Who are you talking about?" "My brother. He was trying to capture Naruto when him and Jiraiya went searching for the Fifth Hokage. He said that he was given instructions from his organization to take Naruto with him."

Sakura's eyes widened in shock. She hadn't even known about the fact that Naruto was being hunted elsewhere as well. "I won't let him!" Sasuke continued. "I won't let him take away another one of my precious people! Not again!" Sakura smiled warmly as she heard those words come out of Sasuke's mouth. She held Sasuke's hand in her own, squeezing it gently as they both looked quietly over the river. "We'll protect him, we have to!"

--

Whew! Lots of writing (and thinking)! Please review and let me know what you think! :)


	14. Chapter 14 A Friend in Need

**Tears of Hope**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto, nor am I affiliated in any way with Naruto. I just like the show and mangas so I wrote this fanfic.

This fanfic belongs to me. If you want to use it in any way shape or form, you'll need my permission first.

Well, Naruto's friends know about his secret now. But will they be able to protect him from the dangers he faces? Read on and find out.

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**Chapter Fourteen - A Friend in Need**

As the hot midday sun scorched down from the sky, the urgent footsteps of two rushing genin sounded through Konoha's streets. Sasuke and Sakura raced back to the hospital grounds as quickly as their feet could carry them. They had to tell Naruto what they knew, they had to show him that they were there for him even if the Kyuubi was sealed inside of him. They would always be his friends. "Sorry!" Sakura shouted as they rushed through the front entrance of the hospital, almost wiping out a moving patient as they went. The two rushed up to the door of Naruto's room and quickly entered inside.

"Hey Naruto!" Sakura shouted as she stepped through into the room, a giant smile gracing her face. But her smile quickly disappeared as she gazed upon the now empty bed where Naruto had been only moments before. "Where is he!?" Sasuke growled as he searched out the windows trying to catch site of anyone who might have taken him. Sakura walked up to the shelf that held Naruto's belongings. They had brought him fresh cloths just the day before, knowing that he would be released from the hospital soon. But they were now missing, only his bright orange jacket and headband remained behind. "Sasuke, I don't think anyone has taken him" Sakura sighed, while trying to calm the enraged Uchiha down. "Wherever he has gone, Naruto went on his own." "Well we need to find him!" Sasuke scowled. "As long as he's by himself, he is in grave danger." The two then left the room racing to find their friend before something happened to him.

As Naruto slowly walked down the dusty streets of Konoha, his mind filled with the thoughts of what had been spoken only a few minutes before. Tsunades words played over and over in the young boys mind, tearing his heart in two. "Did she see the real me? Did she mean everything she said?" He thought to himself as his feat shuffled through the dusty road underneath him. Naruto wore his usual black shirt and orange pants, along with his navy blue footwear. There were still some injuries left on his body so he left his jacket behind. It's heavy weight pained him when he tried to put it on. As he made his way further down into the village, hateful glances were shot his way while whispers, cruel and merciless, reached his sensitive ears. "I thought the monster was attacked. Seems like they didn't do a good enough job. Why is that good for nothing boy still here?" Naruto tried to hold his tears back as the hurtful insults continued to be thrown his way. "Ngghh!!" Suddenly a sharp sting caught him in his chest, causing him to double over, landing on one knee as he desperately tried to hold himself up. His body had not yet recovered properly and his wounds now seethed with pain.

As he knelt there in the middle of the street, a playing child caught Naruto's eye as her mother called the young girl over, shortly before whispering in her ear. The little girl gave a nod of approval as the woman finished speaking and promptly walked over to pick up a large rock that lay nearby. Naruto's heart sank as the girl hurled the object with everything she had in his direction. He cried out in pain as it smashed into the side of his head, before he hit the ground with a resounding thud. He just lay there in pain while tears streamed down his cheeks. "Good job honey! You get that monster!" Naruto's heart froze as he heard the woman congratulate her child, his body becoming limp as he just lay there in a pool of his own tears. Laughter erupted from the nearby observers as they watched him in amusement while his body squirmed with pain. "That's enough!" A harsh voice echoed throughout the street, followed by a deftly silence. "You should all be ashamed of yourselves!" The voice continued as it's bearer slowly walked up to the crying boy.

Naruto looked up to see a very upset Sakura kneel down beside him. "Here let me help you up" she gulped as she took hold of Naruto's arm, lifting him to his feet. Sakura took a bandage out of her equipment pack and ran it around his forehead, dressing the wound he had just received. "You shouldn't be out of the hospital you know!" she continued just as she finished wrapping Naruto's head. "I just needed to get out of there. I needed some time to think" Naruto responded, wiping the tears from his face. Sakura looked into his saddened eyes. She felt so terrible about what she had witnessed. How could the villagers be so cruel. "Thank you Sakura-chan, but if you don't mind I'd just like to be alone for a while." Sakura watched on with a heavy heart as Naruto turned away and continued to walk down the street alone. A few moments passed before Sasuke appeared behind her. He had been watching the scene from a distance, ready to act in case something had gone wrong. "We need to keep an eye on him." He murmured, before the two took of across the rooftops to follow, trailing in Naruto's wake.

The lonely boy stumbled down the street until he eventually came to a deserted part of the town. Many of the buildings were too heavily damaged during the invasion of Konoha and had all been completely abandoned since then. Naruto walked up to a lone wall standing in the middle of the pathway. It had once belonged to a larger structure, but this single piece was all that remained. It was quiet here and the young boy finally felt safe. There were no condemning eyes to look upon him, no insults and no stones would be throne. As he fell to his knees, Naruto finally let his tears fall. With no-one to see him in pain, he could just let it all out. "Naruto-kun?" Naruto jumped up and turned to see two figures walking up to him. He quickly dried his tears away, hiding them from those who wished to see him in pain. But there were no villagers, no hateful eyes, only Hinata and Kiba walking towards him.

"Oh, it's you guys" he gulped, his heart relaxing again as they came into view. "What are you doing all the way out here?" "When we got to the hospital to see you, you weren't in you room, so we all split up to find out where you went." Kiba answered. "All of you? Who all is looking for me?" Naruto asked with a surprised face. "Well, everyone I guess, even Tsunade-sama. After she told us about the nine tailed fox being sealed inside of you we wanted to talk to you about it..." "What?!" Baachan told you about that!?" Naruto blurted in shock. His eyes sank to the floor again. "Now they're gonna hate me as well" he thought to himself as the two looked on in worry. "Naruto-kun please you must understand..." a menacing voice sounded from the shadows of a nearby building, cutting Hinata short. "Ooohhh! Naruto-kun! Hahahaha! How foolish! So the monster has a girlfriend now too!" The three looked around to see eight shadowy figures stepping out from the abandoned structures, slowly moving to surrounding them. "This is bad!" Sasuke mumbled to a nearby Sakura as the two watched from a distance. He could tell by the uniforms they wore that they were all shinobi, and each of them were chunin level to top it off.

The two quickly jumped down from hiding to where Nartuo stood, shocking the young shinobi as they landed between him and his assailants. "Sorry we followed you Naruto!' Sakura apologized glancing at the terrified boy standing behind her. "But we had to make sure you were alright." Naruto's friends formed a circle around him, blocking off any opening that the attackers may have taken to reach him. "We'll protect you this time!" Sasuke growled as he eyed out the shinobi before him. They were seriously outnumbered, but they still continued to stand their ground. Even Hinata showed an unbending confidence as she positioned herself into a battle stance, ready to act as soon as necessary. "So, you choose to protect the monster!" one of the assailants laughed before forming a few hand seals. "Fine! Then join him in hell!!"

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The battle begins as Naruto's friends fight to defend him. I hope everyone is still enjoying the story.

Please comment and review! The story is worth writing if I know people are enjoying it. :)


	15. Chapter 15 Rescue

**Tears of Hope**

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Naruto, nor am I affiliated in any way with Naruto. I just like the show and mangas so I wrote this fanfic.

This fanfic belongs to me. If you want to use it in any way shape or form, you'll need my permission first.

I'm quite tired, so I don't know what to say except that I hope you enjoy the next chapter. :)

--

**Chapter Fifteen - Rescue**

As the wind picked the dust of the ground, swirling it around the abandoned buildings that filled the lonely street, a deadly face off begins. One of the attacking chunin quickly forms hand seals before calling out his attack. "Doton! Earth bullet jutsu!" The chunin ninja then slammed his hand into the ground the, creating a sheet of stone to rise up in front of him. "Get out of the way!" Sasuke shouted to the others while grabbing Naruto to avoid the attack. The four genin scattered as a hail of bullets made out of rock shot from the surface of the stone sheet towards them, tearing apart the ground where they had just been. Sasuke quickly put Naruto down against the lone wall that stood nearby. "Stay hear and don't try anything! We'll handle this!" he ordered, before jumping back into the battle.

Hinata, Kiba and Sakura continued to engage the assailants while Sasuke returned to their aid. "Get back, I'll take care of them!" He shouted as he formed seals in his hand. The others quickly jumped out of the way as Sasuke completed the jutsu. "Katon! Dragon fire Jutsu!" A large burst of flame extended from Sasuke's mouth shooting forward in a blaze of fury, scorching the ground where the chunin ninja stood. "Did I get them? he thought to himself as the smoke and dust cleared. "Sasuke-kun, behind you!" Sasuke quickly turned around just in time to see a fist launching towards his face, but it was to late to dodge. As the blow sent the Uchiha flying to the ground, he let out a whelp of pain. "You're going to have to do better than that if you want to beat us!" the ninja smirked before launching a wave of kunai at the downed boy. Hinata appeared in front of him just in time to deflect the attacks, her Byuakugan glazing in her eyes. The others quickly regrouped around Sasuke as the remaining chunin re-appeared.

"Did you really think we would be taken out that easily!" they laughed, as they moved back into position. Four of them quickly rushed forward to attack while another two jumped up into the air above them. "I'll get those two!" Kiba growled, crawling onto all fours before Akamaru jumped onto his back. "Beast human clone jutsu, Double piercing fang!" Akamaru transformed into an exact duplicate of Kiba and the two spun up into the air, forming a torrent of fangs and claws. As Kiba and Akamaru clashed with the two Ninja in the sky, Sakura and Hinata engaged the four on the ground heading towards them. Sasuke was still trying to pick himself off the floor when the last remaining two launched an assault from his flanks. "This isn't going well, there are two many of them!" Sasuke growled to himself as he jumped out of harms way.

Naruto watched on in amazement while the four genin wavered through the ranks of there attackers. Projectiles were hurled and fists were thrown, as the conflict raged on before his eyes. A stray kunai flew out from the battle, striking the wall right beside where Naruto's head rested. "Shit! At this rate he's gonna end up getting hurt!" Sasuke mumbled to himself as he watched Naruto flinch from the near hit. "We have to keep them away from him!" But the genin were desperately outnumbered and it was difficult to track all their assailant's maneuvers at once. Naruto could only watch as the four fought against the impossible odds. His body was too weak to do anything, he could hardly even move much less fight.

"No... please stop, please stop!" Naruto cried as the he watched his friends receive blow after blow. Naruto couldn't understand why they were fighting a losing battle for him, why they risked their lives for the sake of a monster. "You don't need to do this!" He called out as loud as he could, but his voice was still damaged from the wounds on his neck, and his rasping cry was drowned away by the intense clashing of weapons and jutsu. One of the ninja finally managed to land a blow on Akamaru, kicking him from the air straight into Kiba. As the two came crashing too the floor Hinata rushed to their side. But before she could get to them a stiffened hand landed firmly on the back of her neck, knocking her too the ground. Sakura and Sasuke were defeated only moments later as the remaining attackers concentrated their efforts on the two. The battle was over almost as quickly as it began. The four of genin just lay there on the floor, unable to even pick themselves off the ground as their attackers moved in to finish them off.

"No, wait!" The ninja paused and turned to see a desperate Naruto calling out to them "Please, don't hurt them! It's me that you want. They didn't do anything wrong!" he cried. "Hahahaha! So, the beast cares about them after all. Well that's a laugh!" As the ninja walked over to Naruto, the fear stricken boy backed up against the wall behind him. He knew what they would do to him, but he wasn't going to let his friends die for his sake. "Fine, we'll play it your way" the man snickered as he stepped in front of Naruto. He grabbed his defenseless victim by the throat and lifted him of the ground, slamming his back against the rigid stone wall. Naruto instinctively latched onto his arms, trying to release himself from the strangling hold. "No leave him alone! Don't touch him!" Sasuke screamed as he watched Naruto's body tighten in anguish, wincing in pain as his airway was once again shut close." The only response he got was a kick in the chest from one of the nearby ninja.

Memories flashed through Naruto's mind as the life slowly left his body. All the cruel words and insults that he had endured repeated over and over. _**No-one cares about you! Why would anyone want a monster like you as a friend! Monsters don't deserve foolish dreams like becoming Hokage." "Well done honey! You get that monster!"**_ Tears began to fall from the boys face as the sounds of their cruelty dug into his soul. He had accepted his fate. He may have been born as a monster, but at least he would be able to die saving his friends, Naruto thought to himself. As the shinobi held Naruto's throat with one hand, he formed small chakra blades on the tips of his fingers in the other. "It's time for this to end" He whispered into the boys ear as he prepared to strike, holding up the blades to Naruto's chest. Just as he began to make his move, a voice suddenly sounded from his side.

"Hey you!!" The shinobi turned to see who had called out, but his eyes were only met with the sight of a clenched fist, moving swiftly towards him. "Wham!!" The fist smashed firmly in to the side of the ninja's face, sending him flying through three nearby walls before he finally came to a stop. Naruto collapsed to the floor, air coming back into his lungs as the grip around his neck was released. As he slowly recovered, he looked up to see a silhouetted figure standing in the sun before him. It was Tsunade. "Are you alright Naruto?" she murmured, kneeling down beside him to check his injuries. Naruto nodded while tears ran down his shocked face. He glanced urgently over at the other four genin that lay motionless nearby.

"Don't worry, they'll be fine. I'll make sure of it." Tsunade whispered as she rose from her haunches. She straightened herself up, cracking her knuckles in her hands before shooting around to face the other assailants. Her eyes were filled with a terrible fury that, with a single glance, would tear apart the soul of any unfortunate to look into them. She eyed out her prey standing before her, there hearts stricken with fear at the sight of the legendary sanin that now stood in front of them. They would soon learn the extent of her wrath.

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Tsunade's bad ass. She\s gonna give it to them real good!


	16. Chapter 16 The Wrath of a Sanin

**Tears of Hope**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto, nor am I affiliated in any way with Naruto. I just like the show and mangas so I wrote this fanfic.

This fanfic belongs to me. If you want to use it in any way shape or form, you'll need my permission first.

Tsunade kicks some ass in this chapter! (This will make quite a few people happy)

--

**Chapter Sixteen - The Wrath of a Sanin**

A cold fearful silence overcame the empty streets of the condemned Konoha district as vengeful eyes, furious and remorseless, gazed upon the ninja that stood before them. There were only seven attackers left, one of them having already being disabled by Tsunade's powerful blow. The remaining ones looked on in amazement at their now motionless comrade. "How could she finish him in just a single hit?" they thought to themselves, their hearts now racing in fear at what they had just witnessed. "It's funny, but I don't recall handing out any missions that involved hunting down Naruto!" Tsunade scowled as she readied herself for battle. "Hokage-sama, how can you defend this monster? He's nothing but a..." "Silence!" Tsunades voice echoed across the walls of the empty buildings around them. "Monster!? You're the only monsters I see standing here! I'm going to give you a taste of the pain you have caused this boy!"

"We'll see about that!" With those words, two of the shinobi raced forward to attack Tsunade. "You can die with that freak as well!" Both of them quickly formed hand seals, catching Tsunades eye as they began their assault. Sasuke watched on in horror. He knew what seals were being formed all to well. "Hokage-sama, look out!" he shouted as the chunin both called out their attacks. "Katon! Dragon fire jutsu!" "Futon! Whirlwind storm jutsu! A stream of fire shot forward over to Tsunade and Naruto while the wind blast from the other attack merged together with it, amplifying its power. "Naruto! I have to protect him!" Tsunade quickly turned around and pushed Naruto's heaed down, forcing him into a crouching position before shielding him with her body. She formed a seal with her hands behind the boys back as the torrent of flames engulfed the two. "No!! Naruto!! The genin could only look on as Naruto and Tsunade disappeared behind a plume of smoke and debris.

"So much for the legendary sanin! she probably would have beaten us if she wasn't so worried about protecting that kid" one of the ninja smirked as he looked at the scorched landscape before him. As the smoke cleared away, a shocking sight emerged out of the debris. Tsunade's form appeared into view, a red glow enveloping her body, with a terrified Naruto still firmly in her arms. We're still alive? What happened?" He thought to himself as he looked up to see Tsunade. It was then that he noticed the purple seals that had formed on her face. Tsunade released Naruto from her grip and stood to her feet again. The burn marks on her arms and face quickly dissolved as her nimpo continued to take effect.

"Y..you couldn't have possibly survived that! How did you..." "It's simple!" Tsunade cut him off. "As long as Naruto needs me to protect him, I will never allow myself to die in battle!" With those words Tsunade shot forward in a blast of furious rage, almost immediately appearing between the two stunned shinobi. The force and speed of her movement left a wake in the earth behind her as it split apart under the power of her stride. "What? but how..." Tsunade's fists silenced the ninja's stutters as she uppercut them both in the stomach, the force of the blow lifting them off the floor. She quickly followed up with a rising back kick that sent the two crashing back to the ground.

The remaining five shinobi quickly moved to attack her, launching an all round assault to try and catch her off guard. But the enraged sanin easily deflected their blows with little effort, knocking one of them out of the battle after only a few seconds. She grabbed the leg of another as he tried to land a kick on her, swinging him into his nearby partner with a thunderous crash. She then charged at the last remaining two shinobi with a furious vengeance, kicking one of them in the chest and sending him flying straight into the ninja that stood behind him. As they both slammed into a nearby wall, Tsunade rushed up to finish them off. She raised her fist to strike the one who lay on top, who's head now rested against the wall behind him. He closed his eyes as his demise approached, knowing that the blow would easily kill him if it landed it's mark. "Stop!" A cry sounded out, reaching Tsunade's ears just before she completed her attack. The shinobi slowly opened his eyes to see a clenched fist frozen in front of his face, halting just before it reached him.

An enraged Tsunade looked over to the boy who had called off her assault. "Please don't!" Naruto continued. "I don't want anyone to die because of me. I don't want to be responsible for the death of others." Tsunade looked back into the fear stricken eyes that lay before her. She pulled her fist back again to strike and thrust it forward in a burst of frustration. Bam! As Tsunade's fist smashed into it's mark, the wall behind the surprised chunin crumbled into dust. The stunned shinobi glanced sideways to see Tsunade's arm beside his face. "Why? Why didn't you kill me?" He stuttered as she stood up and turned her back on him. "You have that boy to thank!" Tsunade growled, before walking over to heal the other genin that lay on the floor around her. "I hope you remember what happened here today!" Naruto gave out a sigh of relief as he watched Tsunade recovered his friends. They picked themselves off the ground one by one as she finished mending their wounds. Each of them dusted themselves off and proceeded to make their way over to the boy they had all fought to protect.

"Are you alright?" Sakura asked, crouching in front of Naruto as she watched tears form in his eyes once again. "I.. I don't understand." He sobbed. "You all know about what's inside me, but you still fought to protect me." "We'll always be your fiends, even if you're a little weird!" Sasuke smirked. Tsunade smiled as she heard the words escaping from the Uchiha's mouth with Akamaru yapping in agreement. Naruto's sobs became louder as the stress of what had just happened sank in. He felt guilty about the danger they were all put in for his sake. "I'm sorry about all of this. I put you all in danger, you could... have... been...rrrhhh!" Naruto's words began to slur as his body wavered back and fourth in front of them. The world around him became a dark blur as his body collapsed onto the floor.

"Naruto!!" Tsunade quickly rushed to Naruto's side as his fear stricken friends watched on. As she turned him onto his back, she noticed the bandage that covered his forehead. Blood began to seep from the wound that it hid beneath it's surface. "What happened here?" Tsunade growled, turning to face the other genin. "Someone threw a rock at Naruto earlier, I tried to dress the wound properly but he didn't want any help" Sakura cried as she watched Naruto's face turn pale. "We need to get him to the hospital! Hinata and Kiba, you two stay here. I'll send over ANBU to arrest these shinobi shortly, but in the mean time I want you to make sure they don't try to move!" The two nodded in approval as Tsunade turned to face Sakura and Sasuke. You two come with me!" "Hai!" Tsunade picked Naruto up off the ground and took off in the direction of the hospital. Sakura and Sasuke trailed closely behind her as the three disappeared out of view.

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Well, that's the end of my first ever battle scene. (If you don't include Tsunade's first little temper tantrum)  
What did you think!? Please review and comment! :)

Thanks to all those who have given their support! I appreciate it! It makes this all worth doing!


	17. Chapter 17 Aftermath

**Tears of Hope**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto, nor am I affiliated in any way with Naruto. I just like the show and mangas so I wrote this fanfic.

This fanfic belongs to me. If you want to use it in any way shape or form, you'll need my permission first.

Whew! Hey everyone, another chapter comes. At the moment I am going through a few thoughts on which way I want to go with this story. I've already planned it out pretty much to the end, but there are still openings for other character appearances or side arches. If anyone has ideas, or anything they might want to see in the story (other characters etc) please message me and let me know. I wont be changing the main plot but some additional canon might be nice! Enjoy the next chapter! :)

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**Chapter Seventeen - Aftermath**

The white, empty walls of the hospital room echo with the sound of anxiety as two prodding fingers tapped nervously against each other. Gazing eyes continue to watch on as a shy young girl waits anxiously for the boy lying in front of her to wake up. "He's going to be fine you know." Hinata looked over to Kiba as he spoke gentle words of reassurance. They had already made it back to the hospital room after the ANBU had arrested their assailants. Sakura and Sasuke were also waiting in the room for Naruto to awake once again. "Tsunade already told us that she managed to stop the bleeding. She said he just needs some rest." Kiba continued. Akamaru gave a yap of approval as if to cheer the worried Hyuuga up.

Sakura remained silent, gazing intently at Naruto as he lay soundly asleep. His head was still bandaged up to cover the wound on it bared and his face once again started to fill with colour, glowing in the warm sun as he lay quietly sleeping. She was tired of seeing him in the hospital bed all the time, tired of having to watch him get hurt. Sasuke wore the same face as she did. They both silently cursed themselves for being unable to act properly. They had both let him down again. "Never again!" Everyone turned to look as Sakura spoke. "Never again do I want to see Naruto get hurt like this. Even if I have to sacrifice my own wellbeing, I will do my best to protect him, no matter what!" Sasuke walked up behind where Sakura sat as tears started to fall down her face. He placed his hand on her shoulder, squeezing it tightly to comfort her. "We'll both do better next time." He mumbled as the two gazed on at their friend before them.

As the busy halls of the Hokage tower filled with the shuffling of feet, moving back and forth as their daily duties were carried out, a group of concerned shinobi quickly made their way to Tsunade's office. The ANBU guards promptly opened the door on their arrival, allowing them in to see the Hokage sitting at her desk waiting patiently for them to arrive. "Good, you're all here" she started as Kakashi, Gai, Kurenai, and Asuma walked through the door. Jiraiya was already waiting in his usual stance against the nearby wall. "I heard Naruto was attacked. Is he alright?" Kakashi began, with a concerned look on his face. "He'll be fine. He sustained some injuries, but other than that he should recover. The shinobi responsible have been arrested as well." Kakashi gave a sigh of relief as he heard Tsunade's words. "And what about the others?" he continued. "They are also fine, but that is not why I called you hear." The present shinobi looked on in confusion as Tsunade finished speaking. If they weren't here for that reason, then why had she called them. Tsunade rose from her desk and walked over to a nearby window. She gazed out at the warm afternoon sun, almost seeming lost in it's glowing beauty.

After a short while she turned back to face the others and began to explain. "I've been going over the reports that Kurenai submitted after entering Naruto's mind and while I was reading the descriptions of the perpetrators present at the time, I managed to recognized one them." Tsunade walked back over to her desk and grabbed the illustration of the dark haired man identified as the ringleader of the attack. "As I looked over this profile, something caught my eye. I knew I had seen this person somewhere before, but I just wasn't sure where, so I went through some of my records and discovered _this_." Tsunade took out an ANBU registration list and opened it to a page showing one of the ninja's bio's. Everyone gathered around in front of her to see who it was. "His name is Saiaku Hiyashi, and he's an elite jounin level ninja. He joined ANBU at the age of 16 and has accomplished numerous S-ranked missions, including infiltrations and assassinations." Kuranai's eyes widened as the dark haired man that haunted her dreams lay on the desk in front of her.

"Th..that's him! That's the one who lead the attack on Naruto!" She gasped gaining the attention of the nearby shinobi. Tsunade just gave a deep sigh and then continued to speak. "According to the records, he had often spoken out against the thirds decision to protect Naruto from harm. The two would often clashed about the boy's fate, more than once resulting in severe disciplinary measures to be handed out to Saiaku." "So I guess this means now that the third is dead, he decided to take the opportunity to strike at Naruto, thinking that no-one would be able to follow it back to him." Jiraiya surmised. "Yes, I think that is correct." "Well then, if we know who he is, why don't we just go in and bring him to justice!" Gai blurted out, while striking his usual pose. "I reckon me and Kakashi could handle him quite easily!" "I'm afraid it's not that simple" Tsunade replied. As it stands at the moment, Saiaku is nowhere to be found. He may have caught on to the fact that we were close to discovering his part in this ordeal, so he must have gone into hiding." Tsunade then stood from her chair while closing the file on her desk.

"I've handed the ninja responsible for today's attack over to Ibiki for questioning. If they are in league with Saiaku we may be able to learn his whereabouts from them. This is a very dangerous man we are dealing with here. As long as he's on the loose, Naruto is in grave danger. I want you to be alert at all times! Dismissed!" The shinobi quietly left Tsunade's office. They all had the same objective. They had to find Saiaku at all costs! As they disappeared from view, only Jiraiya and Tsunade remained behind. A long silence fell between the two as they both just stayed there, thoughts running through there minds. After what seemed like forever Jiraiya finally spoke."You know what day is coming up soon?" He started as he stepped away from his position against the wall. Tsunade looked confusingly over at him, wondering what he might have been talking about.

Then it suddenly clicked in. "Naruto's birthday!' she whelped, realizing that it was only a few days away. "Yes, thats right. He's had to spend every birthday by himself for his entire life. Mostly for fear of what someone might do to him if they saw him celebrating and because none of the other parents would allow their children near Naruto." Tsunade sank sown into her chair as the thought of Naruto's lonelyness squeezed away at her heart. "He... must have felt so isolated all these years, with no friends by his side." she admited to herself.

Jiraiya watched Tsunade's face as thoughts raced through her mind. "I'm afraid of what might happen to him on that day as well." Tsunade turned to face Jiraiya as he continued to voice his concerns. "I'm afraid that there may be another 'something special' planned for Naruto when his birthday arrives. To them, Naruto's birthday is just the anniversary of the Kyuubi's attack on the village and they may try to hurt him again." Tsunade thought about his words for a few moments and then stood with an air of enthusiasm as she announuced her plan. "Well then, we'll just have to throw him a surprise birthday party for him!" She announced cheerfully into the air. "That way, he can celebrate with his friends while we all keep an eye on him!" Jiraiya couldn't help but give off a wide grin at hearing Tsunade's plan. It would be a marvelous thing to see Naruto finally being able to spend his birthday with people that care about him. There was nothing that could make him happier than to see his pupil smile again.

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Thanks again to everyone reading my story. This is all for you! :D (PS remember about what I asked above) :)


	18. Chapter 18 A Ray of Hope

**Tears of Hope****  
**

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Naruto, nor am I affiliated in any way with Naruto. I just like the show and mangas so I wrote this fanfic.

This fanfic belongs to me. If you want to use it in any way shape or form, you'll need my permission first.

This next chapter is a bit more uplifting. Hope you enjoy. :)

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**Chapter Eighteen - A Ray of Hope**

A dark icy breeze howled through the trees of the woods outside Konoha as the cries of a tortured soul echoed into the night sky. Eyes, cold and merciless fell upon the young boy as his body was battered into submission. Chains and sticks, bottles and fists landed on their mark as hateful words tore apart his soul. "No please stop... please!" Naruto's cries fell on deaf ears, as his merciless attackers continued their assault. "No-one cares about you! Why would anyone want a monster like you as a friend! Monsters don't deserve foolish dreams like becoming Hokage." Naruto's sobs for help sounded throughout the woods, but there was no answer. "Someone help me! Someone! Anyone! Ahhhhhh!"

"Naruto! Please, wake up!" Naruto's eyes suddenly shot open as hands shook his body back and fourth, desperately trying to snap him out of his trance. His body was shaking and sweat flowed down from his face. His breathing was a heavy pant and fear still latched onto his now racing heart. "Are you alright? We heard you screaming in your sleep." Naruto looked over to the girl beside him whose hands had shuffled him awake. It was Sakura and she had a distraught Sasuke standing beside her. "Don't worry, you're safe here. You were just having a nightmare" Sakura continued, trying to calm the panicked boy down. The morning sun glowed softly through the window while Naruto looked around the room to see the anxious eyes that gazed at him. Kiba and Hinata were still there, standing at the base of his bed. "Did they stay here all night?" Naruto thought to himself as he noticed their shaggy hair and unkempt look. He then noticed a snug Akamaru sleeping on his bed right next to him.

"It seems he's taken a real liking to you" Kiba smiled as he watched Naruto gently stroke the sleeping dog beside him. "He doesn't normally take so well to anyone other than me." As Kiba finished speaking, all the memories of the previous day came rushing back to Naruto. The thoughts of how his friends fought to defend him from harm, how they had risked their lives for him even though they knew what he was. "You guys... you saved me." he murmured, his eyes lowering down, staring at the sheets that covered him. "But why?" "Well, someone has to protect you" Sasuke smirked with a wide on his face. "Besides, you have a knack for getting yourself into all kinds of trouble." Naruto looked up to his friend, a small hint of a smile appearing on his face for the first time since his ordeal. Sakura noticed the small glimmer of life flush back into his blue eyes as he looked in their direction. "Oh yes! You're probably starving!" She blurted out, shooting up to her feet before walking over to the nearby shelf.

Everyone watched in curiosity as she retrieved a steaming bowl of ramen from where it stood on the shelf. She had brought it in from Ichiraku's for just in case. Sakura then sat on the chair beside Naruto once again, lifting a small helping to his mouth. Naruto looked intensely at the food presented before him. "Please have some, you need to eat" Sakura begged inching the morsel closer to her friends mouth. Naruto looked around the room. Everyone watched intently, desperately hoping that he would comply. He finally nodded in approval and took a bite-full of the steaming food. They all watched on nervously as he slowly chewed it before swallowing it in a satisfying gulp. "There, that wasn't so bad, was it?" Sakura smiled as she lifted another mouthful out of the bowl. A massive sigh of relief sounded throughout the room as they watched the boy eat.

After a few minutes the bowl was empty, Naruto having consumed the entire meal. It had been days since he had his favorite food and he couldn't help but devour every drop of it. As he let out a deep sigh of satisfaction, he glanced around the room at everyone around him. His eyes filled with emotions as he finally began to realize that he was no longer alone, that his friends were there for him. "Guys..." Naruto murmured, gaining the attention of everyone in the room. "Thank you... for everything." As the words left Naruto's mouth, tears began to form under his eyes. They rolled down his cheeks and over his whiskers as smiles filled the faces of everyone watching. It was the first time he felt truly accepted, the first time he felt he wasn't completely alone. It finally seemed as though Naruto was coming out of the darkness.

A small creek resounded throughout the room as the door slowly began to inch open. Everyone jumped to their feet, ready to act in case of any trouble. "Who is it?" Sasuke scowled, watching intently as two feet stepped through the door. "I see you're as grumpy as usual. I'll take that as a good sign." Everyone relaxed as Kakashi's face peered around into the room. "What's everyone looking at?" He asked as he walked over past Naruto's bed. He noticed the empty bowl of ramen lying in Sakura's hands. "So, he's finally starting to pull through" Kakashi thought to himself as he leaned against the wall next to the window. "Sasuke and Sakura" He began, gaining the attention of he two. "I know you're both worried about Naruto, but unfortunately we still have missions to do. We've been given an urgent assignment that needs to be completed immediately." Kakashi then turned his attention over to the other two genin standing in the room. "Kiba and Hinata, you to two also need to report in to Kurenai as soon as possible." "But Kakashi sensei, we need to keep an eye on Naruto" Sakura pleaded, not wanting to leave the boys side. "I know how you both feel, but Naruto will be fine. I've called in for someone to watch him while we're away." As Kakashi finished speaking, he nudged his head over in the direction of the door. Everyone turned to see a familiar figure stepping into the room.

"What? Him?!" Sasuke growled as he launched onto his feet. He quickly pulled out two kunai from his equipment pack and launched them towards the figure standing in the doorway. But before they could reach their mark, a wall of sand halted them in their tracks. "Gaara!" Sakura yelped as she rushed to Naruto's side, ready to defend him from harm. The commotion woke Akamaru up who then proceeded to growl in response. "That's enough you two! Gaara is the one I sent for to look after Naruto." Everyone turned over to Kakashi with a confused look appearing on their faces. "Don't you remember what he tried to do to us!?" Sasuke scowled. "He tried to kill us and he was part of the attack on Konoha!" Kakashi just gave out a large sigh before answering. "Sanegakure is now an ally of Konoha and as such they have agreed to give us their aid. Besides..." Kakashi continued, before looking over in Gaara's direction. "...anyone can have a change of heart." Kakashi had received numerous reports about Gaara's progress after the attack on Konoha and how much he had changed since then. He also knew that Gaara might be able to help Naruto in this difficult time. "Now lets get going all of you." he finally finished.

The Genin slowly made there way out of the hospital room, waving goodbye to Naruto as they left the door. He just watched on as they disappeared from view, leaving only him and Gaara behind. The room fell silent as the two just stared at one another. It was then that Naruto noticed the change in Gaara's eyes. They no longer contained the hatred and despair he saw in them when they fought outside of Konoha. They seemed more... relaxed, as though a heavy burden had lifted off of his soul. "Your friends care about you. I can see it in their eyes" Naruto's eyes widened in surprise over the words that left Gaara's mouth. "I've heard about everything that has happened to you" he finished before sitting down next to the window, placing his gourd at his side. Gaara looked over at the wounds on Naruto's body. His muscles tensed up at the sight of the boy as thoughts of hatred and anger rushed back into his mind. He knew the cruelty of others all to well and it upset him to see someone else suffer the same kind of torture he had also endured. "Naruto Uzumaki, how far have you fallen?" he thought to himself as the two sat quietly in the room.

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Ha! I bet you didn't expect that! The thick plottens again!

I hope you all enjoyed the chapter!


	19. Chapter 19 The Boy Inside the Monster

**Tears of Hope**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto, nor am I affiliated in any way with Naruto. I just like the show and mangas so I wrote this fanfic.

This fanfic belongs to me. If you want to use it in any way shape or form, you'll need my permission first.

Naruto and Gaara. Two boys who are seen as monsters. How will Gaara help Naruto through his thoughts and feelings.

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**Chapter Nineteen - The Boy Inside the Monster**

A cool gentle breeze blew through the village of Konoha as it's gates waver back and forth. A trio of shinobi slowly made their way out onto the path that extended from her entrance, leading away from their home. Kakashi, Sasuke and Sakura all walked on in silence, neither one saying a word as they slowly moved away from the village, until it was eventually no longer in site. As they entered the vast outlying countryside, their eyes met a beautiful landscape, rich with farms and groves. Villagers made their way across the dusty roads, pulling carts full of goods to their respective destinations.

"So, do you think Naruto will be alright with Gaara?" Sakura finally asked, breaking the silence that encumbered them. "Don't worry about him. Gaara won't do anything to hurt Naruto" Kakashi answered in a reassuring tone. "How can you be so sure? He tried to kill us the last time we saw him, what makes you think he's not going to..." "Because..." Kakashi inturupted Sasuke. "Because he's not the same Gaara you fought back then. He may be one of the few people who actually understands what Naruto is going through." "But how... how can that guy possibly understand Naruto?" Sasuke growled, now growing ever more frustrated. "He and Naruto have more in common than you think." Sasuke's eyes widened at Kakashi's statement. "What does he mean?" he thought quietly to himself.

Back at the hospital, an inquisitive boy slowly eyed out the numerous gifts that lay on Naruto's shelf. Naruto watched on in fascination as Gaara slowly picked up each one, stared at it longingly and then place it back down again. Once he had inspected them all he turned to face Naruto. "I see you have quite a few friends" he murmured as he walked to sit in the chair beside him. Naruto glanced to see the objects that filled his shelf. "Yeah, I guess I do. What about you, have you made any friends in your village?" Naruto knew from his first fight with Gaara that he had lived a lonely life devoid of any bonds, but he still hoped that maybe with time, he had found precious people of his own. Gaara looked down at the floor beneath him, his eyes seemed to narrow as he thought carefully of his answer. "I guess so. My brother and sister." Naruto looked into Gaara's eyes as the boy raised them to meet him.

"What is it like?" A look of confusion overcame Gaara's face as Naruto began to ask his question. "What is it like to have a brother and sister? To have a family?" "Family?" Gaara looked on at the lonely face in front of him. Naruto's eyes saddened as the memories of his early childhood came rushing back to him. He always felt so alone when he saw the other children being loved by their families. Like a son riding on his dad's shoulders or playing with his big brother, having him to watch over him and protect him. Gaara noticed his eyes becoming empty as the thoughts ran through his mind. "Well, I guess..." Gaara began to answer. "...I guess it's the same as having friends." Naruto looked up in surprise as Gaara continued to explain. "When you have someone that cares for you, an affectionate heart that gives all of itself for an important person and is always watching over them, then I guess it doesn't mater if they are friends or family. The point is that they are your precious people who love you. At least that's what I heard from someone once."

Naruto's heart began to swell up inside of him. He had understood what Gaara meant. After another short moment of silence, Gaara began to speak again. "Do you want to go for a walk?" Naruto turned to look outside the window. He knew what might happen if he went outside, if the villagers caught site of him again. Gaara noticed the fear forming in his eyes at the mention of leaving the hospital. "Don't worry about them, I'll be right beside you." he continued, standing up to his feet. "Come, lets go!" As the two made there way out the hospital door, Gaara noticed Naruto's limp. He was obviously still in pain from the injuries he had sustained so Gaara slowed his walk down to make it easier for the boy to keep up with him. The two made their way into the village and headed out to the bridge that crossed into the training field.

"Hey look, it's the monster again. Who's that walking with him? Why would anyone want to be near that freak?" Gaara's fists tightened at his sides as he heard the whispers of the villagers around him. He felt a deep anger towards the cruel eyes that now stared down on them. It was obvious that Naruto could hear them too, as his face began to sink into despair at the sound of their words. "Just ignore them" he whispered into Naruto's ear. "Don't let them see you falter, otherwise they will just use your sorrow as a weapon against you." Naruto nodded his head before lifting his face up again. They both continued to make their way towards the bridge when a cold voice called out to them. "Get lost monster! No-one wants to see you here!" one of the villagers howled as he picked up a stone and threw it in Naruto's direction. But before it could reach him, a protective wall of sand blocked its advance.

Gaara shot around to face their attacker. His eyes were filled with an intense anger that knew no bounds. The villager froze in terror as the boy's murderous eyes gripped him in his deadly stare. "Do that again and I'll kill you!" The villager quickly backed away in fear, leaving the two alone to continue walking. Naruto was surprised to see Gaara's reaction to the situation. He was definitely not the same person that tried to kill them just a few weeks before. They proceeded to cross over the small stream that ran past the training ground. Once they arrived they sat somewhere near the three large wooden logs that stuck out of the ground. It was the same place Naruto had been tied up the first time they did the bell test with Kakashi. A cool breeze blew gently against their faces as they relaxed in the warm sunlight, looking over to the tranquil stream that flowed not to far away.

"Gaara?" Gaara looked over to Naruto as he began to speak, his blue eyes becoming fixated on the ground in front of him. "Have the people in your village ever tried to hurt you?" Gaara searched the floor around him, until he found a sharp stick laying on the grass. He picked it up in his hands and stared at it intently. "I've been attacked on numerous occasions." he answered while fiddling with the object he now held. "Everyone in my village feared me. To them I was nothing more than a weapon that had gone out of their control. There were many assassination attempts on my life but..." Gaara then proceeded to lift the stick and plunged it down towards his hand. "No wait!" Naruto whelped as he saw the sharp object making it's way to strike. But a film of sand covered the area where it was about to land. "...as much as they tried, the spirit of the Shukaku kept me from harm. The sand has always protected my body from any form of damage. I had never received any injury in my entire life before arriving in Konoha."

Gaara then turned to Naruto and gazed upon the boys battered body, Naruto was not as fortunate as he was. "I wont try to imagine what pain you went through. It must have been hard for you to endure." Naruto just fell silent as Gaara's words struck at his heart. "But..." he continued. "You have friends that care deeply for you. They... they have the same eyes as you did when I first fought you. Eyes that showed an unnerving will to protect the person who is precious to them... to protect you." Tears began to run down Naruto's face as Gaara finished speaking. "But... but what if I am nothing but a monster? What If I hurt them. What if I..." "Naruto..." Gaara murmured interrupting the boy as he spoke. "...What did you see in me when we first met?" Naruto thought quietly on Gaara's question and then answered. "I saw a lonely kid with sad eyes. Eyes that showed a life of solitude and rejection, that showed a wound deep in your heart." "That's funny" Gaara answered as a confused look appeared on Naruto's face. "I didn't once hear you mention the Shukaku. What you saw was the real me, not the beast that was inside of me. You were the first person to recognize the boy inside the monster. The truth is that we are the ones who are really trapped, trapped inside the beasts that everyone sees us for." Naruto came to a sudden realization as he listened to Gaara's words. They were both just kids, kids who had a terrible burden to bare, neither one of them deserving what they both had to endure. As the two lay quietly on the soft green grass of the training field, a gentle calm overtook them. For now, they weren't monsters or weapons, they were just two boys with feelings and emotions all their own. Both longing for acceptance and understanding from all those around them, to have the meaning of their existence recognized.

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I know there wasn't much that happened in that chapter advancement wise. But I thought it was an important step to take on Naruto's long walk to recovery. Hope you enjoyed the chapter!


	20. Chapter 20 Barbecue Burnout

**Tears of Ho****pe**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto, nor am I affiliated in any way with Naruto. I just like the show and mangas so I wrote this fanfic.

Yay! It's the twentieth chapter!! Woot! :D :D :D  
I wasn't exactly planning on this next chapter, it just came to me like a slap in the face. (Ooohh!)  
I really enjoyed writing this one, so I hope you like it too. (Team 10 fans read on!)

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**Chapter Twenty - Barbecue Burnout**

As the village streets bustled and teamed with the busy sound of work, two boys slowly make their way back to the hospital grounds. Both were thinking on the conversation they had just had, the words that were shared between them repeating through their tired minds. As the made their down the dusty road, a sudden stinging sensation shot into Naruto's chest. "Ngghhh!" As the boy let out a whelp of pain his body once again began to fall to the floor. Gaara quickly grabbed Naruto's arm before his body collapsed and put it over his shoulder to support him. "We should find somewhere to sit for a few minutes" Gaara murmured as he lifted Naruto to his feet. As they continued walking Gaara searched around to find a place for the two to rest.

Everywhere he looked, every occupied bench or seat, the villagers simply moved to fill the gaps that where left open. None of them wanting to allow the monster to sit anywhere near them. Gaara just continued down the street with an exhausted Naruto trying desperately to continue on. "Hey Naruto!" Gaara and Naruto looked up to see a friendly hand waving in there direction. It was Chouji and he had Asuma, Shikamaru and Ino beside him. They were all standing outside of a restaurant waiting to be let in. "Oooh! Look at him!" Ino sighed, drooling at the red head boy accompanying Naruto. "Oh, that's just Gaara, you've seen him before" Shikamaru sighed as he watched the girls strange antics. As the two boys approached the group Asuma noticed Naruto's poor condition. "Hey do you two want to join us for a barbecue? There's still room at the table and you look like you could use a seat." Gaara looked over to Naruto as Asuma finished his question. They could both use the rest and it would better for Naruto to just stay low for a while. "Naruto?" Gaara murmured, as if to gain the boy's approval. Naruto looked up at the four shinobi before him and gave an exhausted nod. "Good! Lets get you inside."

Asuma led the boys to the front door, where a waiter patiently asked them for there quota. "A table for six please" Asuma asked with a cheery grin on his face. He then looked over to a pudgy Chouji beside him and then rephrased his words. "Actually, make it a table for seven" he whispered again, so that the boy couldn't hear him. The waiter quickly glanced into the doorway and pointed to a position further down inside. "Thank you very much" Asuma smiled before walking through the door. Chouji, Ino and Shikimaru followed soon after, Ino still drooling over the thought of Gaara as she walked through the door. Gaara and Naruto then proceeded to follow afterwards. "Ahem!" The waiter coughed, before placing a hand up to halt the two boys in their tracks. "We don't allow monsters like you into our establishment!" Asuma paused where he stood and quickly shot around to face the man, his eyes were filled with a cold deadly stare. "Um b...b... but I'm sure no-one will m...m...m... mind!" the man stuttered before finally allowing the boys inside.

As the group approached the nearby table, they all positioned themselves around it's base. Gaara helped Naruto get seated as the hot coals lit up in the centre of it. There were a few bowls of freshly cut meat standing on the side. "Lets get started!" Chouji yelped with glee, rubbing his hands together. He quickly threw some of the cut meat onto the open flames in front of them. As it simmered atop the warm heat, it's fragrant smell filled throughout the room. As soon as the food had finished cooking everyone grabbed their chopsticks and began to dig away. Chouji had already downed four pieces before anyone else could even move to act. "You're always so greedy Chouji!" Ino growled as she watched the boy cram as much food in his mouth as possible. It was then that she noticed Naruto attempting to pick up the chopsticks on the table beside him. But every time he tried they just fell out of his shaking hands.

"Here, let me help you" Ino smiled as she picked up a piece of food and held it up to Naruto. "Thanks" the boy murmured before taking a bite full. Asuma watched as the scene played out in front of him, a large smile making it's way onto his features. Naruto always seamed to bring out the best in everyone around him. Shikamaru just gave out his usual boring yawn as he looked on. "Girls are so confusing" he thought quietly to himself. As the last few morsels of food disappeared from the grill, a single lone piece remained atop its brimming surface. "Oh come on now Chouji" Ino sighed as she looked at the boy beside her. "You know you're going to take the last piece, so just get it over with already!" Chouji was always the one to take the last piece of food when they all went out to eat. No-one even bothered to challenge him for it any more because they knew he'd win out in a contest for food. "Indeed I shall!" He bellowed slapping his hands together in excitement, as he shot his chopsticks over to the sizzling morsel, ready to gulp it down. Suddenly his hand paused just before taking hold of his prize.

Surprise overcame the faces of everyone at the table. They all wondered why Chouji stopped, it wasn't like him to delay his victory. Chouji then proceeded to look up at the worn out face of the blue-eyed boy in front of him. Thoughts raced through his mind as the images of Naruto's ordeal flashed in front of his eyes. "Naruto" He murmured gaining the boy's attention as well as everyone else at the table. "You can have the last piece." A resounding thud echoed throughout the restaurant as the flabbergasted listeners toppled over in surprise. "Well... 'cough.'.. that was unexpected!" Asuma wheezed while banging his fist against his chest. A recovering Shikamaru looked over to his equally surprised sensei and notice the dark plume smoke coming out of his mouth. "Why is there so much smoke coming out of you?" he asked, while scratching his head in confusion. "Oh.. 'cough'... it's nothing" Asuma began to reply. "I think I just... 'cough'... swallowed my cigarette." Shikamaru rolled his eyes in disbelief. "What about Ino? What's wrong with her?" Shikamaru looked over to see a pale faced Ino sitting beside him. He moved his hand to feel her neck and then proceeded to sigh. "Well this is troublesome" he mumbled as he removed his hand. "What...'cough'... what is it?" "Well" Shikamaru continued, "she doesn't have a pulse anymore."

Everyone at the table gasped in surprise, Asuma all the while still banging on his burning chest. Shikamaru proceed to shake his teammate violently until she finally came back to life. "What?! What happened?!" Ino gulped, waving her head from side to side. Shikamaru just sighed again. "What happened? Well you've been clinically dead for the last twenty seconds" he replied, an exasperated look forming on his face. "Oh! Well It's just that I thought I heard Chouji offer Naruto the last piece of food." "Hey! I did!" A now annoyed Chouji bellowed. Ino's face once again began to pail at the mention of his words. "Oh, not again!" Shikamaru quickly moved the now comatose Ino onto the floor where he desperately tried to shake her back to life again. Asuma all the while, began to turn blue in the face, the cigarette he swallowed now getting stuck in his throat. "Here, let me help you Asuma-sensi" Chouji yelped before jumping from his seat to where Asuma now stood.

"Partial Multi-Size Technique!" Chouji's arms grew to four times there normal size as he proceeded to squeeze Asuma's abdomen. Naruto and Gaara could only sit and watch in disbelief as the scene unfolded in front of their now stunned eyes. As they looked on in amazement, Shikamaru continued to resuscitate an unconscious Ino while Chouji performed the Heimlich Maneuver on a choking Asuma. "Are all of the people in your village like this?" Gaara mumbled as he shook his head at what he was witnessing. But Naruto was too stunned to even answer. He just continued to watch in wonder. "Three, two, one, Hmmm!" As Chouji squeezed Asuma as tightly as he could, a large puff of smoke erupted from his mouth and nostrils. "Let's try again! Three, two, one, Hmmm! After giving a last desperate push, a still smouldering cigarette finally popped out of Asuma's mouth and flew across the room. After sailing a few meters through the air, it eventually landed on a nearby table setting the entire thing alight as it touched against it's surface.

The shinobi just looked on in complete disbelief as the nearby furniture proceeded to set ablaze in a flashy show of fire and smoke. "Quick Chouji, get a cushion and help me bat out these flames!" a now panicked Asuma shouted. "I'll handle this." Everyone looked over to Gaara as he proceeded to step up from his seat, walking over to the now rampant fire. "Sand coffin!" A large burst of sand quickly made it's way out of Gaara's gourd and proceeded to smother the afflicted furniture, encasing it completely. "Desert funeral!" With those words a large crashing sound spread through the restaurant as the sand completely crushed the chairs and table it now held, choking the flames into submission. "That was a bit overboard, don't you think?" Asuma gasped as he looked at the black smoldering ruins before him. Just then, Ino suddenly woke up from her trance. "What happened over here?" she mumbled as she looked at the scene of destruction in front of her. Shikamaru just gave out a deep sigh. "How troublesome!"

As they all made their way out of the restaurant, exhausted from everything that had just occurred, Asuma bowed to an irate owner as he handed over their hefty bill. "It took me three A-rank missions to save that money" he sighed as they turned to walk away. He then looked over to Naruto, who was now being supported on either side by Gaara and Shikamaru. "We'll take you back to the hospital now. I'm sure you need quite a bit of rest after all this madness." Naruto just nodded before giving a polite "thank you." As they made there way back to the hospital, the thoughts of what had just occurred repeated over and over in the boy's mind while a faint smile, ever so slight, etched itself onto his whiskered face.

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As you can see, it's Naruto's interactions with his friends that will slowly bringing him out of the darkness. I hope you enjoyed this chapter the way I enjoyed it. I don't know if I will get to another one today, but we'll see how it goes. :)

Please review and comment!


	21. Chapter 21 The Will of Fire

**Tears of Hope**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto, nor am I affiliated in any way with Naruto. I just like the show and mangas so I wrote this fanfic.

With only a few days left until Naruto's birthday, what plans are being made? And what evil schemes are being conducted in the shadows.

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**Chapter Twenty One - The Will of Fire**

As the bright golden sun moved slowly past the sky of Konha, inching closer to the horizon, a young boy races swiftly into the village gates with his sensei trailing not to far behind. "I won again, I won again!" A stalwart Lee called out, looking back to his teammates as they followed in behind him. "Whew! I'm getting too old for this!" a tired Gai blurted out as he finally came to a stop next to his energetic counterpart. Neji and Tenten slopped slowly up to them, both wearing an exhausted look on their faces. "How... how do you two... keep it up?" Neji panted while Tenten collapsed onto the floor next to him. "The fire of youth burns brightly in our souls! We will never stop working hard until death takes it's toll on us!" Lee explained while shooting into his 'nice guy' pose. "Well said young man!" Gai quickly shot back the same pose back at him. Neji and Tenten just looked on in exhaustion as the two stood their facing each-other, with wide toothy grins present on their faces. "Why did we have two get stuck with these two!"

The four of them slowly made there way into the village, exhausted from a long days work. They all wanted desperately to visit Naruto, to see the boy whom they had sworn to protect. As they made there way onto the hospital grounds, Gai noticed Lee's body suddenly tense up. The thought of going into the hospital again bothered the young boy immensely. The memories of his ordeal where still fresh in his mind and he had developed a slight fear of the place ever since the day of his operation. "Don't worry, we are all here with you" Tenten murmured, placing a reassuring hand on Lee's quivering shoulder. "You're right!" He replied, lifting his gaze from the floor. "I have to be strong for Naruto-kun! We have to be there for him at all costs!" A warm smile formed on Gai's face as he heard the words coming from his student mouth. It was good to see that the boy still had the will of fire burning strongly in his soul.

Back in the hospital, a tired Naruto had finally arrived in his room with Gaara and Shikamaru supporting him all the way. They both helped him up to his bed and watched him let out an exhausted sigh of relief as he finally lay down. "Asuma, Ino and Chouji followed in shortly afterwords. They all took a seat and allowed themselves to relax. It had been a long day and they were all by now finished. Gaara looked upon the boy laying in front of him as he slowly inched himself into a comfortable position. Every shuffle he made, he let out a small wince of pain, struggling to move his body due to the injuries that covered him. "I'm sorry about all of this" Gaara murmured, gaining Naruto's attention. "If I had known that it would have been this difficult for you, I wouldn't have taken you out of the hospital." Naruto turned his head to face Gaara as he finished speaking. "His eyes were filled with a soft glimmer of light as they reflected the warm rays of the sun shining through the window. "No... don't be sorry. I... I needed that more than you could know." He then looked at everyone in the room around him. They had all tried to help him in any way they could and he appreciated every effort.

"Hey Naruto!" Naruto looked up to see a flash of green enter through the doorway. Lee, Gai Tenten and Neji walked inside the room, waving their greetings as they came through the door. "We came to visit you, we all heard about the attack and..." Lee's paused in his speech as he caught a glimpse of the boy whom he had fought in the chunin exams. "Gaara! W..what are you doing here?!" Gaara turned his head to face the genin now gazing intently at him. An awkward silence enveloped the room as the two continued to stare each other down. Gai noticed Lee's anxiety and quickly put an arm in his shoulder, trying desperately to calm him. "Now Lee, you must understand..." "He's here to look after me while Kakashi-sensei is away" Naruto interrupted Gai. Lee looked over to Nauto as his body began to relax. "It... it's good to know that there is someone watching over you at all times" he eventually murmured. Asuma looked uneasily at the people standing in the room. It seemed as though they had worn out there welcome and it was time to head home. "Well, we must be taking our leave now, we have a long day tomorrow and we all need our rest" he sighed, standing to his feet. "Ino, Chouji, Shikamaru, Lets get going!" "Hai!"

As the exhausted team left the room, they all waved their good-byes to Naruto, Ino all the while taking one last glimpse at Gaara who was still oblivious to her charms. Gai followed them down the hallway to see them on their way. As the remaining genin stood around the room, Lee's eyes fixated on the battered boy in front of him. Memories flashed through his mind as the thoughts of his own ordeal began to surface. He had felt so lost when Tsunade told him that he would never be able to fully recover from the wounds he had received during the chunin exams. It was like his purpose in life had been taken away from him. No-one believed that he would be able to become a great ninja with hard work alone and they were almost proven right. The image of Naruto's broken form lying in front of him reminded him of his own trials. He could understand what Naruto must have felt when his soul was taken away from him, when his dreams were trampled into the mud.

Neji noticed the anguished look forming on his teammates face. He knew all about Lee's struggle to recovery and how he had almost lost hope. "Naruto" Lee began, gaining the boys attention. "I think I know what you are going through. You must feel like your purpose in life has been taken away from you, like your dreams are being snatched from your hands and there's nothing you can do about it." Lee's body began to quiver as he continued to speak. "But... but we must continue work hard to achieve our goals. We cannot allow others to keep us from doing everything we strive to accomplish. We cannot allow them to take away the hopes and dreams we've laboured so hard for!" Tears began to form on Lee's face. He poured his entire heart out to them all, secretly trying to reassure himself as much as he was trying to help Naruto. Neji walked up to the now sobbing boy, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder. Lee wiped away the tears running down his cheeks and then lifted his head in confidence. "I have to set a good example for Naruto-kun to follow! I can't let him see me like this!" he thought to quietly to himself.

He quickly shot into his nice guy pose, flashing his white shining teeth while a intense fire burned brightly in his eyes. "Well both work hard and recover together!" he chirped, putting a small smile on Naruto's face. Naruto felt a warm ember of hope ignite inside of his heart. He knew the road in front of him would be a difficult one, but he now had friends to see it through with him until the end. As his eyes slowly began to waver, the reassuring words of his friend etched themselves into his mind. "Thanks fuzzy brows" he murmured as he slowly began to fall asleep. Gaara turned to gaze upon the boy that he had caused so much harm. His words cut painfully into his guilty heart, causing it to knot as the thoughts of what he had done flowed through his mind. "I think Naruto needs some rest now" Neji murmured, watching the exhausted boys eyes slowly inching closed. Lee turned to the Hyuuga and gave a nod of agreement. They all turned to leave, looking back at the now sleeping Naruto while they exited through the door.

Gaara followed to see them off, watching as they made there way down the hallway. "Lee?" Lee stopped and turned around to face the boy who called out his name. The two stared at one another for what seemed like an eternity before Gaara finally continued. "I.. I'm sorry for the pain I have put you through. I have caused allot of trouble for you and I know you may hate me forever for what I did. I only wish I could take back what happened that day." Lee looked into the eyes of the red head boy in front of him, they were filled with both guilt and sincerity. "I don't!" Gaara's eyes widened at what he had just heard. "I learned a very important lesson from that experience." Lee continued. "I learned that no mater how hard things get, no matter how hopeless life becomes, there is always a way out of the darkness. You just need friends that care for you to help you along the way." With that, Lee gave an accepting bow before turning to leave. "Oh and Gaara" he called back as they made there way out the door. "Thanks for helping Naruto!" Gaara let a small smile inch onto his face as Lee's words echoed throughout the hallway. He then headed back inside to watch over the boy who had helped changed his heart for the better.

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Another day, another friend to see you through the darkness!  
Well, I hope you enjoyed that chapter. Please review!


	22. Chapter 22 Gaara's Decision

**Tears of Hope**

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Naruto, nor am I affiliated in any way with Naruto. I just like the show and mangas so I wrote this fanfic.

Well I've managed to get a second chapter done for today. But that's it for now. I'll probably update again tomorrow provided I have the time. Hope you all enjoy.

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**Chapter Twenty Two - Gaara's Decision**

As the early morning rush continued throughout the Hokage tower, a single genin slowly made his way to Tsunades office. Gaara had received a message from the Hokage requesting his presence and had to leave a sleeping Naruto in the hospital alone. As he approached the ANBU guards waiting outside, they promptly opened the door to let him inside. "Good morning Gaara" Tsunade proclaimed as the quiet boy walked through into the room. As his eyes glanced around he noticed his team leader Baki standing at her side. Ever since the reforming of the alliance between Konoha and Sunagakure, Baki had taken a position as the ambassador between the two villages and often travelled here for official business.

"As you may know.." Tsunade began, "We have received word that Kakashi's team is currently making their way back into the village as we speak. He should be arriving at the front gates within the next few minutes." Gaara knew immediately what Tsunade was getting at, she didn't even have to continue. "What I'm trying to say is that you no longer need to watch over Naruto anymore. You can return to your village with Baki as soon as he's ready to leave." Gaara looked over to his superior as he took over. "I should be done here within the hour and then we can make our way back home. I thought you could use the company seen as how I am here on business anyway." He then proceeded to walk up to Gaara, who had remained silent during the whole conversation. "If you don't mind..." Gaara finally murmured, pausing Baki in his tracks. "I... I would like to stay in Konoha for a while longer, that is if it's alright."

Baki's eyes widened in surprise at what he had just heard. Tsunade looked up at the boy before them, his face showing an immense look of concern. "Naruto?" Gaara just gave a quiet nod. "Hmmm, I see." Tsunade just folded her arms and leaned back into her seat. She could see by the look in Gaara's eyes that this was definitely what he wanted. "I don't see why not! You can stay as long as you like" she chirped, rocking back in her chair. "Of course, it is up to Baki to decide whether or not he will allow it." Baki looked over to Tsunade and then turned to face Gaara. He knew all about how Naruto had helped him pull out of the darkness that had trapped him his entire life. He couldn't help but realize that he owed the young boy a great debt. "Very well" he finally sighed. "But I'm going to get allot of flak for this when I get back."

Gaara couldn't help but give off a small smirk, surprising Tsunade and Baki both. He stood from his chair and gave a short bow of gratitude before taking his leave. "That kid sure has changed" Baki smiled as he watched the boy walk out of site. "And it's definitely for the better." Gaara hurried back to the hospital as quickly as his feet could carry him. He didn't like the idea of leaving Naruto alone for so long and he couldn't help but feel an anguished knot form in his stomach. He didn't know how, but he somehow sensed trouble coming the boy's way.

As the morning sun crept into the quiet hospital room, the creaking sound of the hospital door slowly opening woke the silently sleeping Naruto from his dreams. As his eyes began to inch open the blurry world around him wavered back into focus. "Good morning Naruto-kun!" Naruto looked up to see a hospital official slowly making his way up to his side. "Where...where's Gaara?" he yawned, his eyes searching the room for the boy who was watching over him. "Oh him, he's been recalled back to Sunagakure. In the mean time I've been asked to look after you until your team returns here. They should be ariving in the next few minutes." Naruto looked back up to the man as he stepped beside his bed. There was something very wrong, he could feel it inside his gut. The man then proceeded to pull a sharp needle out of pocket and attached it to a liquid filled syringe held steadily in his hands. "What's that for?" Naruto asked, a worried tone now forming in his voice. "Oh, don't worry. This is just to help get rid of your pain... permanently!"

At the sound of his words, Naruto quickly let out a panicked yelp, but a hand quickly covered his mouth to block the sound. "Now, now! We wouldn't want anyone to worry about the little monster!" the man snickered as he moved the needle closer to Naruto's neck. He tried desperately to free himself from the mans grip, but his body was to weak to put up any reasonable fight. Tears formed down the terrified boys cheeks as his muffled cries for help sounded quietly through the room. "Your friends aren't here to save you this time! No-one is going to help you now!" "That's what you think!" The man quickly shot up to see an enraged Gaara standing in the doorway. "What... but how are you still here?" he yelped before quickly throwing the syringe towards the furious boy, but Gaara's shield easily deflected the projectile. A sudden blast of sand shot from his gourd and slammed into the assailant, pushing him up against the wall.

"It was a big mistake for you to come here" Gaara growled as he slowly walked towards the pinned man with his hand extended in front of him. As he closed his fingers around his palm, the sand slowly crushed his prey, squeezing him tighter and tighter against the wall. "Are you alright Naruto?" he asked, turning his head to face the terrified boy beside him. Naruto just gave a teary nod, Gaara had made it just in time. "Sorry I'm late, we had a few problems along the..." Everyone looked to see a stunned Kakashi waling through the door, with an equally surprised Sasuke and Sakura standing beside him. "What's going on here?" Kakashi sighed, his eyes focusing on the person trapped against the wall. It was then that Sakura noticed the tears coming off Naruto's face "Naruto?! She yelped, as she and Sasuke quickly rushing to the boys side. They both looked over him to make sure he hadn't come to any harm. "You can let him go now Gaara, I'll take it from here." Kakashi growled as he approached the trapped man. Gaara promptly released him from his deadly gripped, letting him fall to the floor below him. Kakashi then moved to restrain him and led him out the door, picking up the syringe he had tried to use on the way.

"I'll take him to Tsunade-sama immediately, she'll probably want Ibiki to have a few words with him. You guys stay here with Naruto and make sure nothing else happens!" he shouted back into the room as he made his way into the hallway. Sakura continued to check on her companion while an infuriated Sasuke began pacing around the room. "We're gone for just one day and look what's happened already!" He scowled as his furious eyes darted there way around the room. He hated the idea of something happening to Naruto while he wasn't there to protect him. Gaara just proceeded to sit down. Silently watching as the two genin tended to their panicked friend. "I... I thought you had left" Naruto murmured, turning to face the boy. "I was meant to leave today, but I've managed to convince your Hokage to let me stay a while longer." "But why? Why do you want to protect me so badly?"

Gaara just looked at the two genin that stood by Naruto. He could see the worry on there faces, the fear of losing Naruto engraved in their eyes. They were the same feelings that now reflected in his eyes as well. "Because..." he finally answered "Because you've already saved me from the lonely hell that I suffered my entire life. You showed me that there are those who care for me, that need me and that I need in turn. The truth is that I've also come to consider you as... as a friend and as such I don't want to see you come to any harm." Sasuke turned to face Gaara, his gaze fixating on the anguished eyes that he saw in the boy before him. He finally started to understand what Kakashi had meant. "Perhaps Gaara does know more about Naruto's suffering than anyone else. Perhaps he had changed after all." he thought quietly to himself.

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And so Gaara remains, having finally found a friend worth defending. Hope you enjoyed the chapter.


	23. Chapter 23 Restless Dreams

**Tears of Hope**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto, nor am I affiliated in any way with Naruto. I just like the show and mangas so I wrote this fanfic.

This fanfic belongs to me. If you want to use it in any way shape or form, you'll need my permission first.

Whew. I've had a busy day today, but I've still found the time to pull out another chapter. :) This one took me a little longer than usual, so it will be the only one for today.  
Thanks for all the positive feedback so far. I appreciate that some of you have taken the time to review my chapters. This is for you all! :D

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**Chapter Twenty Three – Restless Dreams**

Only a few hour had passed since the remainder of Team 7 had returned to Konoha and an exhausted Kakashi now slowly makes his way to Tsunades office. He had been summoned for a debriefing on the situation regarding the recent attacks on Naruto. As he entered through into the room, Tsunade and Shizune were waiting patiently for him inside. "So, I take it Ibiki hasn't had much luck with our assailants" Kakashi sighed, noticing the look of frustration on the other two faces. Tsunade just gave an infuriated nod. "It's not that they are not talking" She began. "It's just that they don't know anything regarding Saiaku's whereabouts. We have confirmed that they are in league with Saiaku, but have only dealt with him via long distance communications and have never actually met him in person."

Kakashi proceeded to walk up to the nearby wall, leaning against it's cold hard surface as he closed his eyes in thought. "What about our medical official. I'm very concerned about the fact that there may be those in our very hospitals that are also trying to harm Naruto as well." Tsunade turned to Shizune, who held a medical report in her hands. "Shizune has analyzed the content of the syringe that you recovered from Naruto's attacker. Shizune, please report your findings." "Hai!" Shizune began before stepping forward to explain. "According to our reports, the chemical that was to be used on Naruto is an extremely dangerous and lethal poison. If he had been injected with it, death would have been almost inevitable. On top of that, it not only causes the bodies functions to close down, but it also fires off the nerve endings in the body, causing excruciating pain for the victim in the few minutes they live for."

"So they not only want to see Naruto dead, but they also want to see him suffer as much as possible!" Kakashi growled, lowered his head in frustration. It seemed as though they were fighting an uphill battle. If it weren't for Gaara being there to stop the attack, Naruto would have surely been dead. "To top it all off" Tsunade continued now standing from her chair. "It's Naruto's birthday tomorrow and we can be sure that Saiaku has something terrible planned, which is why I've decided to hold a birthday party for him." Kakashi raised his eyebrows in surprise. "I've already made all the arrangements with the other team leaders" Tsunade continued, walking over to the jounin as he backed up off the wall. "You just need to make sure that you, Sasuke and Sakura are there as well. If we're all with him, watching him closely, then I don't think anyone would dare to try anything drastic. Besides, I think it would be good for him to finally spend his special day with friends that care for him." Kakashi gave a nod of approval and then proceeded to walk out the door. He would have to inform Sakura and Sasuke about the situation.

The cool night air blew gently down the streets of Konoha as Kakashi made his way out of the Hokage tower. As he walked through the warmly lit streets, his thoughts wondered through his mind. The thoughts of the loneliness Naruto had endured all these years. How he had never had a family to be there for him on his birthday. There was no-one to comfort and cherish him, to tell him how proud they were of him. He didn't even have real friends until his induction into Team 7. But this year it would be different. This year, he would finally be able to smile, to be with those that truly appreciated who he was. He had grown so much since their first mission to the water country. He had become a smart headstrong boy that any parent would be proud of. Kakashi only wished that everyone else could see the real Naruto, the Naruto that he had come to know and grow fond of.

As as small glimmer of moonlight pierced into the dark empty hospital room, a young boys nightmares begin to surface once again. As Naruto's body shuffled back and forth, small winces of pain fell from his mouth. Suddenly his eyes shot open as a cry for help echoed through the room. "It... it was... only a nightmare" Naruto panted as he sat up, sweat running down his face once again. "You had one last night as well." Naruto turned to face the person who had spoken, only to see Gaara, quietly sitting in his chair, staring intently at him. "I often hear you crying out in your sleep. You're voice is always full of fear, of pain. You keep calling out for help, for someone to save you. Is... is it about what happened to you?" Naruto just lowered his head, his thoughts wandering as the pain of what he endured skipped through his mind. "Do my nightmares often wake you up?"

Gaara's eyes began to tighten at the thought of Naruto's question. "I'm always awake... always watching what is going on around me. The Shukaku inside of me can only take control of my body when I'm asleep. I've always been afraid to close my eyes, afraid that if I ever slept I'd lose my very soul to his consuming will." Gaara then looked up at the boy before him, his eyes were still filled with the fear from the fresh memories of what happened to him. "I... I don't even know what it's like to dream" he continued. "It is something I've never had the opportunity to experience, even when I used the forced sleep jutsu, the Shukaku always clouded my mind, keeping my thoughts empty for his own use. I've always wondered what it felt like." Naruto gazed down at his own hands, the wounds of his ordeal were still clearly visible when he looked at them. "You're lucky" he murmured as small tears formed slowly in his eyes. Gaara's eyes widened in surprise, he didn't quite understand what Naruto had meant. "Every night since that event, my dreams have forced me to relive everything that happened to me. All the pain, all the taunts and cruelty, it all comes back rushing back, as though it were happening over and over again."

Naruto looked around the room, his two teammates were still sleeping soundly. The exhaustion from the days events had sunk in and they were completely worn out. "They look so calm." Naruto whispered as he watched the two's slow, steady breathing. "I hope I never have to watch them go through the same pain I have. I hope I never have to watch their nightmares when they are sleeping in front of me. I saw it once before. When ero-senin and I were out looking for Granny Tsunade to become the fifth Hokage. We ran into Sasuke's brother Itachi. I had to watch while Sasuke suffered at his hands when Itachi cast his genjutsu on him. I don't know what nightmares he witnessed while he was trapped inside, but I hope I never have to see my friends in that kind of pain again."

Gaara stepped up from his chair and walked over to Naruto. He placed his hand softly on his shoulder, squeezing it gently as if to take hold of the boys fear and sadness and pull it away from him. "You need to get some rest now" he whispered, easing Naruto back down into a lying position. "Don't worry, I'll be here the whole time. I won't allow anything to happen to you as long as I'm around to watch you." Naruto gave a small nod. He let his eyes slowly creep closed again, darkening the room around him until sleep finally started to take hold. The thoughts of the next day now became nothing fore than small flashes in his mind. As his breathing started to slow down, Gaara turned to walk back to his seat. As he watched Naruto quietly sleeping, thoughts rummaged through his mind. He only wished he could take Naruto's pain away, to remove the fears and torments that plagued the boys heart.

--

Naruto's birthday begins in the next chapter!! What will happen on the anniversary of the Kyuubi's attack?!  
You'll just have to wait and see! :D


	24. Chapter 24 Anniversary

**Tears of Hope**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto, nor am I affiliated in any way with Naruto. I just like the show and mangas so I wrote this fanfic.

This fanfic belongs to me. If you want to use it in any way shape or form, you'll need my permission first.

Well, it's a big day for Naruto, but what surprises are in store for him as the day pans out.  
This was another one of those chapters that came easily to me. I guess it's because I already knew how I wanted these next few chapters to play out. I hope you enjoy it!

--

**Chapter Twenty Four - Anniversary**

The cheerful call of singing birds sounded outside the hospital as the warm, morning sun slowly crept over the horizon. As it's warm light made it's way through the windows, Naruto's eyes began to inch open as the start of a new day breathed life into his soul. He gave out a tired yawn before sitting up to look around him. As he rubbed the sleep away from his eyes, the world came slowly back into focus. His eyes slowly made their way to Gaara, who remained constantly awake, still looking over the boy he had chosen to defend. "Good morning. You didn't appear to have any more nightmares last night." he murmured as Naruto looked over in his direction. Naruto just remained silent. He knew what day it was and he had been fearing it's approach for quite some time. He knew the villagers saw it as the anniversary of the Kyuubi's attack on Konoha and would probably try to harm him if they had the chance.

Gaara noticed the anxiety in Naruto's eyes, the fear that started to take hold of the boy as his body began to quiver. He moved his mouth to speak, to calm Naruto's nerves but before he could say anything, the hospital door suddenly shot open. "Good morning everyone!" Jiraiya bellowed as he stepped into the room. The sudden commotion woke Naruto's sleeping teammates, sending them flying to their feet. As Sasuke jumped up in surprise he quickly pulled out four kunai and threw it towards the doorway. The lethal weapons slammed firmly into the wall around where Jiraiya stood, missing him by only a few millimeters. The sanin just stood there in surprise, his body twitching in shock at having nearly been impaled by the deadly projectiles. "You shouldn't do that to us!" Sasuke scolded as he realized who it was that he had almost shredded. "What is with you people that you just appear unexpectedly and give us all heart attacks! I could have killed you!"

Jiraiya just gave out a deep sigh as the enraged Uchiha continued to scold him. Gaara all the while just gave off a small smirk, he found the entire scene rather amusing. "Anyway" Jiraiya spoke, interrupting a fuming Sasuke. "I've come hear to inform you all that you are to report to Tsunade for a special briefing as soon as possible, including you Gaara." "But... but what about Naruto, who's going to look after him while we're gone" Sakura replied, not wanting to leave the boy by himself after the previous day's incident. Jiraiya walked up to the bed in which his student sat. "I will be looking after him for today" he smiled as he looked down at the nervous boy. He couldn't help but give off a large grin as the thoughts of what they had planned flashed through his mind. "What are you so happy about?" Naruto mumbled, noticing Jiraiya's excited look. "Oh, nothing much, It's just good to see that you're finally recovering."

"Well, you guys better get going!" Jiraiya led the other genin out of the door, sending them swiftly on their way. Once they were all out of sight he turned back to a now confused Naruto. "I think it's time me and you had a little walk together" he smiled. "I haven't spent any quality time with my student for quite a while now." Naruto's eyes just dropped down in dismay, the thought of the villagers catching site of him on this particular day terrified him completely. "Oh come now, it's not that bad!" Jiraiya chirped, placing a reassuring hand on Naruto's shoulder. "Besides, I am one of the legendary sanin, I'll be with you the whole time. I promise nothing will happen to you." With those words, he helped Naruto out of his bed. The boy quickly slipped on his navy blue footwear and the two made their way out of the hospital.

As they made their way into the village streets, cold eyes once again began to gaze in their direction, piercing Naruto's heart with there cruel, deadly intent. But today, they were even more hateful than usual. Jiraiya just simply brushed them off, he wasn't about to let anyone or anything spoil the boy's day. After walking a small distance Naruto suddenly paused in his tracks, the pain of moving had started to take effect on him and Jiraiya noticed the anguish look on his face. "I know, I'll call over some transport!" With those words, Jiraiya quickly formed some seals. "Toad summoning jutsu!" Jiraiya slammed his hands into the ground, summoning a reasonably large toad for the two of them to ride on. He picked up Naruto and placed him carefully on top of it before jumping up himself. "There we go, that's better now isn't it?" Naruto gave a small nod as the large creature began to make it's way down the street. The mere presence of it gained more than a few glances from surprised onlookers, who paused in their tracks as the sight of the large toad caught their eyes.

As they continued to move forward a lonely genin entered into view, slowly making his way up the street towards them. The large toad halted in his tracks as he caught site of the untimely approach of Shino. Naruto and Jiraiya looked up in front of them to see why they had suddenly stopped moving. "Hey Naruto!" Shino waved as he noticed the two shinobi before him. It was only then that he realized what it was that hey were sitting on. A sudden silence overcame the entire scene as the toad and the boy stared intently at one another, both frozen in a fixated gaze. Sweat began to drip of Shino's brow as the fear of what he was seeing engraved itself on his face. "Um, what was it about the Aburame clan that made them unique again?" Jiraiya gulped, as he watched the unsettling development. Suddenly it hit them, just as the large beast burst forward in a sudden charge, flinging the two off his back. Jiraiya managed to catch a falling Naruto just before he hit the ground and the two watched on in amazement as a terrified Shino charged down the street, with a hungry toad trailing closely behind him.

"Well, I guess that's what you call fast food" Naruto sighed as they disappeared out of view. The toad had obviously noticed the bugs that infested the Aburame's body, and was delighted with the prospect of an easy meal. "I guess we had better go and help him!" The two picked themselves up off the ground and proceeded to give to give chase, Naruto trailing further behind due to the pain of moving. They finally managed to catch up, finding a horrified Shino firmly pinned to the ground while the hungry toad licked him into submission. Jiraiya quickly walked up to them and proceeded to un-summon the creature, freeing the trapped boy from his grasp. "Sorry about that. I didn't expect to run into you out here this morning, aren't you supposed to be reporting to Tsunade?"

Shino picked himself up from the ground and slowly dusted off his cloths. "I was headed there now before running into you two" he grumbled, still feeling rather humiliated after being used as a human popsicle. He then turned to face Naruto as his nerves finally began to calm down. "It's good to see that you are finally getting better. I wish I could stick around longer, but I don't want to keep Tsunade-sama waiting." Jiraiya and Naruto waved goodbye as the genin made his way to the Hokage tower. "I wonder what's going on" Naruto thought quietly to himself as the boy disappeared out of view. "Well, I guess the toad summoning wasn't such a good idea after all" Jiraiya sighed turning to the now even more confused Naruto. "Why don't you hop onto my shoulders instead?" Naruto's eyes widened in surprise. He had always watched on in wonder as the other kids rode on their father's shoulders, smiling and laughing all the while. He had never had the opportunity to experience the joy of it for himself and had always wondered what it was like.

The boy gave off a small whelp of glee as the excitement of it all overcame his body. "Hmmm, I'll take that as a yes" Jiraiya quipped, helping him up to his shoulders. Naruto's eyes gazed around him in fascination as he lifted up into the air. The world felt so different on top of the shoulders of someone else. It felt safer, like he could no longer be harmed by the cruel eyes that gazed at him. As the two made there way down the street, Naruto folded his arms and rested them on Jiraiya's head, placing his chin on top. He let his eyes relax as his body began to ease into a comfortable position. As he let out a deep sigh of relief, a small grin formed on Jiraiya's face. This would be a good day for Naruto, he could feel it inside his heart.

--

Naruto's birthday continues in the next chapter. Please review!


	25. Chapter 25 A pleasant Surprise

**Tears of Hope**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto, nor am I affiliated in any way with Naruto. I just like the show and mangas so I wrote this fanfic.

This fanfic belongs to me. If you want to use it in any way shape or form, you'll need my permission first.

Whew! This one was a real heart jerker. I'm very pleased with the way this one turned out. I hope you all enjoy this chapter! :) :) :)

--

**Chapter Twenty Five - A Pleasant Surprise**

As the legendary sanin slowly made his way down the sunlit streets of Konoha, a young boy gazes longingly off his shoulders, watching the world around him pass slowly by. With the warm light touching his face, all of his worries and fears slowly melted away, leaving a peaceful soul to bask in the magical moment that captured them both. Jiraiya came to a sudden pause, alerting a relaxed Naruto while he turned to search around him. "What's wrong? Why are we stopping?" the boy mumbled, as his tired eyes glanced at their surroundings. "I thought I'd spoil you to a little treat" Jiraiya smiled making his way to a nearby ice-cream stand. As Naruto watched on, Jiraiya quickly ordered a small blue icicle with two wooden sticks jutting out of it's base. "I find it's always better to share these things with someone special." Jiraiya's word's struck Naruto's heart as he watched the sanin break the treat in two, giving half of it to the boy on his shoulders.

They slowly made there way to an open bench sitting quietly facing a tranquil garden. Jiraiya carefully removed Naruto from his shoulders and placed him on its surface, sitting him by his side. The two of them just sat there in silence, both enjoying the serenity that enveloped them while the sweet taste of the sugary icicles filled their mouths. For the first time in a while, Naruto finally felt at ease. Even if only for a brief moment, there were no fears, no nightmares and no one to cause him pain, only the warm, glowing rays of the sun. A few minutes had passed as the two sat there in silence before quiet whispers started to fill the air. Naruto's ears pricked up as the shadowy words of those around him slowly made their way to his mind. He quickly glanced around, only to see the cruel eyes of nearby villagers staring coldly in his direction. The warmth that had enveloped him moments before slowly began to dissipate as fear inched it's way into his vulnerable heart.

Jiraiya began to notice the sudden change in Naruto's eyes. They started to fill with a deep despair as the world closed in around him, choking his soul. He placed his hand on the boys shoulder, gaining his attention before speaking soft words of comfort. "Don't worry about them, as long as I am here, they wouldn't dare try to harm you." Naruto looked into his sensei's eyes, a small glimmer of hope sparked in them as the sound of his words tugged him out from the encroaching darkness. "Why does everyone hate me so much? Why do they all look at me with those eyes? Why can't they see me through the same eyes you do, that my friends do?" Jiraiya looked on as small tears began to run down Naruto's cheeks. The burden of carrying the nine-tailed fox had weighed heavily on his soul. It was too much for someone so young to bare and it was unfair for him to have to do so. If he could, Jiraiya would have gladly taken it away from him, to remove his suffering at the hands of those that looked down upon him.

"You know, sometimes it's difficult for people to let go of the hatred that's embedded in their hearts. When someone loses a precious person that is close to them, they often don't know how to handle it. So they take there anguish out in any way they can, often hurting those who don't even deserve the blame." Naruto looked up at his sensei as the words flowed out from his mouth. "But your friends care deeply for you, they see the real Naruto, not the Kyuubi that is sealed inside of you. As long as they are there at your side, there is always hope." Jiraiya then turned Naruto to face him as a warm smile appeared on the hermits face. "You have no idea how proud I am of you. From the first time I met you, I've watched you grow into a strong, caring boy who is always their for those who need him. Any parent would be proud to call you their son. I know, because I would be."

Tears began to flood from Naruto's eyes as Jiraiya's words flowed into his heart. He leapt into the arms of his unexpected sensei and sunk his head into his shoulders. The two just sat their, Naruto all the while pouring his heart out, letting all the hurt and pain fall through his tears while Jiraiya held him in a warm, comforting embrace. He had never seen Naruto like this before. The boy had always kept his feelings inside, never allowing his true emotions show to the world around him. He would always wear a smile on his face, always showing a cheery and confident demeanor, even in the face of complete adversity. But this time he let it all go. He finally let all the emotions that welled up inside of him fall away, not caring who was watching him as he allowed himself to cry.

After a few minutes of letting his emotions peel away from his burdened soul, Naruto finally pulled his head off of Jiraiya's shoulders and began to wipe the tears from his face. The sanin kept his arms on the boy's shoulders as his sobs slowly began to lessen, eventually coming to an end. "Th... thank you" Naruto choked, as the last of his tears disappeared from his eyes. Jiraiya just flashed another warm, friendly smile. "I meant every word of it." He then proceeded to stand to his feet, before helping Naruto up to his own. "Are we going back to the hospital now?" Naruto asked as his sensei's eyes searched around him. "We will eventually, but there's one more stop we need to make first." Jiraiya looked down at the boy beside him. A smile began to form on his face again. "Trust me, you'll like this one."

As the sun slowly began to pass the middle of the sky, inching it's way into the afternoon, teacher and pupil slowly moved forward to their destination. They made their way up to a small, secluded house that stood away from the cluttered buildings that made up the rest of the village. As they stepped up to the front door, a small feeling of anxiety started to creep into Naruto's mind. "Go ahead, open the door." Jiraiya smile, urging the young genin to go inside. Naruto's heart filled with a small hint of doubt. "What if it's a trap? What if someone's trying to hurt me?" He thought quietly to himself as his hand wavered in front of the door. He then suddenly snapped back to his senses. "No! Ero-senin would never do something like that to me. He would never betray me like that!" he reminded himself. He placed his hand on the wooden surface and opened it to go inside.

"Surprise!" Naruto's body froze as large cheers of welcome echoed through the walls of the house. His eyes looked on in amazement at the site that now stood before him. All of his friends were waiting for him inside with a large feast set atop a table in the centre of the room. Colourful streamers flew through the air covering everything around in their vibrant spectrum. As the smiles on the faces of those he cared for embedded themselves into his mind, the sudden shock of what was happening overcame him in a flood of emotions he never thought he'd ever experience. "Happy birthday!" They continued to shout while a stunned Naruto continued to step forward into the room. Tears once again began to fall from his face as the site of those precious to him filled the space around him. Everyone he cherished was there, the entire rookie twelve and all their jounin team leaders. Even Iruka, Tsunade, Gaara and Shizune were present.

Jiraiya stepped in behind the stunned boy, placing his arms on his quivering shoulders as he gazed on in wonderment. "This is for you" he whispered softly into Naruto's ear. An overjoyed Sakura quickly ran up to the tearful boy and grabbed his arm with Sasuke flowing beside. "Come and see what we've set up for you" she giggled while leading Naruto into the centre of the room, where the marvelous feast stood. Naruto's heart became overwhelmed with what was happening, it was almost too much to take in. As they all gathered around the table, Naruto couldn't help but feel a warm glow enter his heart. For the first time ever, he would have a real birthday, with friends that cared for him by his side.

--

It's not over yet. Get ready for the next chapter as Naruto's birthday continues.  
I hope you enjoyed the chapter. I'll update again soon! :)


	26. Chapter 26 A Birthday to Remember

**Tears of Hope**

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, nor am I affiliated in any way with Naruto. I just like the show and mangas so I wrote this fanfic.

This fanfic belongs to me. If you want to use it in any way shape or form, you'll need my permission first.

The surprise has been sprung! On to the Birthday party! Hope you enjoy!

--

**Chapter Twenty Six - A Birthday to Remember**

The rich aroma of warmly cooked food filled throughout the air while festive cheers continued to sound. An excited Sakura quickly showed her surprised companion to the feast that had been set for him. The boy could only look on in wonder as he glanced around the table that sat in the centre of the room. There was a large assortment of dumplings and bite sized treats, even small cups of ramen filled it's surface. There was more food than anyone could hope to finish, it was obvious that Tsunade had gone all out to prepare the feast that they would all now enjoy. Everyone gathered around the table and promptly began to seat themselves at it's base. Sakura pulled out a chair for the young boy they were honoring and helped him get seated. She then proceeded to place herself next to him, with Sasuke taking the opposite side.

Once they were all in place Tsunade began to clear her throat, gaining the attention of everyone present. "As you all know, today we have come here to celebrate the life of a very precious person. I think I speak for us all when I say that Naruto Uzumaki has become an immensely important part of us all and as such, we are here to wish him a very pleasant birthday! May we celebrate many more with you!" Everyone let out large cheers of approval while hands came together to honor the boy who sat before them. Naruto felt a warm glow form inside his heart, it was as though the entire world had lifted him up on their shoulders, like the worth of his existence was finally being acknowledged.

Everyone looked on in satisfaction as a glowing smile etched itself onto his whiskered face. There were no tears of anguish, no fears or doubts. It was almost as though all the hardships that encumbered his soul had just melted away, becoming nothing more than forgotten memories. He felt truly happy, truly wanted, knowing that they had all gone through so much trouble for his sake. Naruto tried to speak, to thank everyone at the table around him for the precious gift that they had just given him, but he couldn't find the words. It didn't matter though, his face said it all. His eyes lit up with a bright ray of hope, filling with a glimmer of vibrant life. Once the cheers and applause slowly died down, everyone began to dig into the food that lay before them. Naruto finally had the strength to hold his own chopsticks and he proceeded to gulp away as much food as he could. His friends watched on with glee as the boy happily scoffed down one cup of ramen after the other. This was the Naruto that they remembered fondly, The boy who was always smiling, always happy.

After about an hour had passed, only a few small scraps of food remained on the table. Naruto let out a deep sigh of relief, gently patting his now full stomach. He looked up at the people around him before a small murmur left his mouth. Everyone turned to the boy as he tried desperately to find the words to express himself. "Guys... I guess... well... I just wanted to say thank you. It means so much to me, having you all here." Naruto started to quiver as the words came out of his mouth. He felt a rush of emotions well up inside of him, overwhelming his racing heart. Jiraiya just stood up from his seat and made his way over to the shaking boy. "It's not over yet, there's still more to come" he whispered into Naruto's ear before leading him from his seat into a nearby room. Everyone got up to follow as the two made their way inside. Darted around the room were a few large couches with a small table centered in-between them. Sitting on top of the table was a number of wrapped gifts of various shapes and sizes.

Naruto's eyes widened at the site before him. "Are... are these for me?" he quietly mumbled as he gazed on the colourful wrapping that stood brightly in the middle room. Jiraiya just lead him inside and sat him down in front of the table. Everyone else followed after and spread themselves around him, all watching as the sanin walked over and grabbed one of the presents. He then turned back to the boy who it was addressed to and placed it in his hands. Naruto read the card that was firmly attached to its side. "From your friends and teammates, Sakura and Sasuke." He then looked up to see his smiling companions. "Go on, open it!" Sakura grinned, urging the boy to continue. They both watched on in eagerness as he slowly pulled the wrapping off the gift he held in his hands. As the colourful paper slowly dropped down to his feet, its contents were finally revealed. Naruto's eyes began to water at the site of what now lay in his hands.

"It.. It's my headband!" he gulped, gazing at the shiny metal surface that reflected his blue eyes back towards him. It had been completely restored, sitting atop a new, clean navy blue bandana. Engraved on the inside were small messages of hope and support from all of his friends. "We noticed that it had been damaged, so we tried our best to repair what we could" Sasuke smiled as he watched his friend gaze longingly at its form. "The messages inside are there to remind you that your friends are always there for you. So no matter how tough things seem to get, all you have to do is read those words to know that you're never alone." Naruto's teary eyes looked back up to his friends again. To him, he couldn't have possibly received a better gift than the one they had just given him. He would always keep it close to his heart.

Naruto continued to unwrap the remaining gifts that littered the table. There was one from every single person in the room around him. Each one of them watched on with glee as the boy opened the present they had given him. They were all very sentimental gifts, each holding an important place in the givers heart. Once he had finished opening them all, a grateful Naruto stood up to his feet and looked around the room. His eyes showed an undying gratitude towards those around him. Tears began to roll down his cheeks again, but this time they weren't tears of sadness or fear. They held in them all of the joy and happiness that now filled Naruto's heart. Naruto then collapsed to his knees as the overwhelming emotions gripped his body in their hold. "Naruto-kun!" Hinata yelped, running over to the boy and kneeling down in front of him. She placed her hands on his shoulders while his eyes raised to meet her own.

"It's.. it's okay!" she stuttered, before pulling him into a firm hug. Everyone watched in surprise as the Hyuuga tightly embraced the boy in front of her, including Naruto. Sakura and Sasuke joined them as well, both kneeling down to wrap their arms around their shaking friend. It wasn't long before a massive group hug ensued as the remaining rookie twelve, including Gaara, all huddled in, placing their arms firmly around each other. "How troublesome" Shikamaru sighed, before suddenly being pulled into the tight embrace. They all stayed there for what seemed like an eternity while the older shinobi just watched on in wonderment. Naruto just savored the moment. He didn't ever want to leave the comforting, protective circle of friends that now surrounded him. He wanted to remain there for as long as he possibly could.

As the dark night sky slowly enveloped Konoha in it's starry gaze, a gentle calm overcame the house in which Naruto's birthday took place. The couches inside were now lined with sleeping shinobi, who were all completely exhausted after the days festivities. They had decided to stay there with Naruto, none of them wanting to leave the boy alone on the night of his birthday, knowing what might happen if he was left unprotected. As they lay there quietly, a small shuffling noise sounded in the trees outside the window, waking Naruto from his slumber. His eyes searched the room around him, gazing at those who slept soundly nearby. "They all look so peaceful" he thought to himself. He stood to his feet, slipping on his footwear and walked over to the door. He eased it open gently, not wanting to wake up his peacefully sleeping companions and proceeded to step outside. As Naruto's eyes searched the glimmering stars that were scattered in the sky above him his thoughts wandered back to everything that had happened. A warm smile crept up onto his face as he deeply breathed in the cool night air. Just then a shuffling noise once again sounded through the nearby trees, hiding the shadowy presence that made it's way down to the now vulnerable boy.

--

What will happen now!! Read the next chapter and find out!  
I hope you all enjoyed that chapter. Please review! :)


	27. Chapter 27 The Shadow’s Embrace

**Tears of Hope**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto, nor am I affiliated in any way with Naruto. I just like the show and mangas so I wrote this fanfic.

Trouble lurks its way towards an unsuspecting Naruto. The battle for his safety begins!

--

**Chapter Twenty Seven - The Shadow's Embrace**

As the cool night air flows freely into Naruto's lungs, a sudden stir sounds in the nearby trees. A shadowy presence slowly made itself known as the vulnerable boy looks around in fear. "Who... who's there?" Naruto gulped as the shuffling sound travelled quickly around him. His heart began to race, tightening in anguish when a hand landed suddenly on his shoulders. "Hey." Naruto's heart jumped as he shot around to see who it was that stood behind him, only to see a straight faced Gaara staring blankly in his direction. "Whew!" Naruto sighed, relieved to see the boy standing in front of him. "It.. it's only you. I thought..." "You really shouldn't be wandering out on your own you know" Gaara interrupted him. "There are people who may try to hurt you. You should head back inside." Naruto gave a small nod. "I'm sorry, I just needed to get some fresh air."

Gaara then noticed the look of fear present on Naruto's face, his eyes looked as though he had just seen a ghost. "Are you alright? You look a little shaken." Naruto looked at the shadowy trees around him, his eyes wondering back and forth between them. "I... I thought I heard something just now. I guess it was only my imagination." Suddenly a dark voice sounded out from the shadows towards them. "Oh how sweet, the little brat is afraid!" Naruto and Gaara quickly glanced around, trying to find the source of the voice they were hearing. "Naruto, quickly get back inside." Gaara whispered, urging the boy to do as he said. Naruto looked at him in concern before running to the door. But before he could get to it, a palm slammed firmly into his chest, sending him flying to the ground. Gaara quickly shot around to face their assailant, only to see a tall dark haired man standing in the doorway.

The boy quickly send out a blast of sand to encase the man standing before him, but before it could even reach him, he shot forward in a flash, appearing suddenly behind a surprised Gaara. "Your sand can't keep up with me!" he growled before striking the stunned Gaara in the back of the neck. The boy came crashing to the ground, having being bested so easily by the swiftly moving figure. Naruto pulled himself up of the ground, trying desperately to find his way to his feet. As he looked up to see the man attacking them, his body froze in fear at the sight of him. "It... it's you!" He gulped, realizing that it was the same dark haired ringleader that had caused him so much pain. "hehehe. You've been quite difficult to reach, what with the legendary sanin always at your side. Who knows why they would waste their time protecting a monster like you!" The man made his way towards the fear stricken Naruto. The boy tried too call for help, but the terror that overcame him had constricted his throat and only small whelps sounded from his dry rasping voice.

"What's the matter? Fox got your tongue" the man snickered before suddenly appearing behind Naruto. His hand landed firmly on the back of the boys head, knocking him out cold. Before he could hit the ground, the man caught Naruto under his arm and darted of into the shadows, leaving a still lying Gaara behind. As the boy slowly came to, his opening eyes searched the area around him. "N...Naruto!" He slowly pushed himself up of the floor and shot back into the house. "Someone has taken Naruto!" He yelped, waking the soundly sleeping shinobi in a panicked cry. They quickly shot up to there feet at the sound of Gaara's words. "What! Who was it? What happened?" A panic stricken Tsunade growled as she walked up to the boy. "It was a tall dark haired man. I... I wasn't able to stop him." Tsunade closed her eyes in aggravation. "Saiaku!"

She quickly shot around to a sleepy eyed Hyuuga. "Neji, I need you to search the area for any signs of Naruto" Neji gave a small nod before activating his bloodline technique. "Byakugan!" The boy stood their in deep concentration as his eyes scanned the surrounding area. After a few moments passed, he bowed his head in defeat. "I... I couldn't see them. They're already out of my range." "Their scent is erratic as well" Kiba muttered, sniffing into the air. "Whoever this is, he's good at covering his tracks. I won't be able to follow his trail." Tsunade tightened her fist in frustration. "Okay, then well have to spread out and look for them. I want you all to split into groups of three. Gaara, you'll go with Sakura and Sasuke. All jounin, as well as me and Jiraiya will travel alone. If you stumble upon them, send for backup if possible. Now go!" A resounding "Hai!" echoed throughout the room before the shinobi scattered in a flash. They all searched desperately to find Naruto, before something grave happened to the boy.

Saiaku quickly made his way towards the village walls, jumping amongst the rooftops with an unconscious Naruto held tightly in his arms. "Hmmm. Someone's trailing me! I'm surprised I've been found so fast" he muttered, quickly darting down into a dark alleyway. He looked up to the sky above him, quietly waiting for his follower to appear. A kunai suddenly flashed out of nowhere, flying swiftly towards the jounin that held Naruto. He quickly jumped out of the way, dropping the boy so as to not be encumbered by his weight. As the projectile slammed into the ground, Saiaku looked to see who had thrown it. But as he looked up another Kunai flew right past where he stood. As he caught a glimpse of the travelling projectile his eyes widened, noticing the explosive tag tied onto the back of it. "Release!" A large explosion ensued, sending the surprised man flying back into a nearby wall. "Hehehe! I guess I should have expect as much from the great Kakashi Hatake!"

Saiaku looked up to see the furious copy ninja standing on the roof above him. "I've come to retrieve Naruto! You would do best to surrender now or face the consequences!" Kakashi growled. "He! You should know better than to underestimate your opponent!" With those words Saiaku disappeared in a flash. "Wh...what speed! Where did he go?!" "I'm right behind you!" Kakashi shot around as a kick landed itself in his chest, sending him flying of the building. Saiaku jumped after him and quickly formed seals in his hands. Doton! Tectonic fist jutsu!" A large form of rock grew around Saiaku's arms as the two jounin plummeted to the ground. Kakashi landed just in time to jump away from the ensuing attack. As Saiaku slammed his fists into the earth where Kakashi had just been, a large rupture formed in it, shattering the floor under the force of his blow.

"You're quite quick yourself" he snickered as he looked up to see Kakashi hurl a flurry of shuriken in his direction. "But not quick enough! Doton! Mud wall jutsu!" A large wall of mud appeared in front of the jounin, halting Kakashi's attack in it's tracks. Saiaku then slammed one of his hands into the protective wall and formed seals with the other. "Mud bullet assault!" A large hail of projectiles then proceeded to shoot from the surface of he mud wall, slamming into the ground as Kakashi quickly jumped into the air above him. As he travel over his opponent, he continued to unleash a flurry of kunai trying to get around his defence. But Saiaku just placed his other hand into the mud wall and pulled it over to protect him. "He can move the wall at will?" Kakashi thought to himself as he landed on he other side. "He's allot more skilled than I thought. It seems I have no choice!" Kakashi moved up the side of the headband that covered his left eye, revealing the sharingan it hid beneath it. It would allow him to track his opponents movements and jutsu with much more ease.

"So you're finally getting serious. This should be interesting!" "I'm not here to play games with you. It's time for you to die!' Kakashi responded, forming seals in his hand. "Katon! Phoenix fireball Jutsu! Kakashi released a large volley of flaming missiles towards the snickering Saiaku, who quickly pulled the mud wall around himself for protection. A large explosion followed as the missiles reached their mark, slamming into the shield that now surrounded the jounin. As the smoke and dust cleared, a large dome of rock remained, having being hardened by the intense heat of the fire. "You're becoming quite the bother!" Saiaku growled, blasting himself out of the rock that encased him. As the dust cleared from the air around him, his eyes widened in surprise. A large glimmer of blue light shot quickly towards the stunned jounin slamming into his chest. "Raikiri!"

Saiaku looked down to see the lightning surging through his body, impaling him in a final deadly attack. "Looks like you've lost!" Kakashi growled as their eyes locked in a cold stare. "Hmmm! You've let your guard down Kakashi!" A grin formed on Saiaku's face as his body began to dissolve away, forming a large puddle of mud and earth on the floor. "A mud clone!" Kakashi snapped as he watched it seep down by his feat. It was then that he noticed the hole in the ground beneath him. He hadn't seen it through all the dust when he was charging for his final assault. "He must have travelled into the ground while his shield kept him out of view!" he thought to himself. "Raiton! Lighting missile jutsu!" Kakashi shot around to see a surge of electricity travelling quickly towards him, it was already too late to dodge.

As the deadly attack hit its mark, the jounin flew to the ground in anguish, his body now smouldering from the blast. Saiaku then proceeded to step into view, carrying Naruto under his arms. "I held back on my jutsu, so you'll still survive. I wanted you to carry on living, knowing that you failed to protect this boy." With that, Kakashi watched on in agonizing pain as the two disappeared over the rooftops. His eyes began to waver as the world around him blurred into darkness. "N...Naruto!"

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Dum dum dum! Hope you enjoyed that chapter. Saiaku strives to fulfill his dark ambition. Will anyone be able to stop him?!  
Will I stop writing these wierd questions. Read the next chapters to find out and please review!


	28. Chapter 28 Naruto's Plight

**Tears of Hope**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto, nor am I affiliated in any way with Naruto. I just like the show and mangas so I wrote this fanfic.

This fanfic belongs to me. If you want to use it in any way shape or form, you'll need my permission first.

I hope you all enjoyed the previous chapter. Here comes the next one! I'm sure you are all wondering what's going to happen, so read on! :)

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**Chapter Twenty Eight – Naruto's Plight**

"Is he alright Tsunade-sama? Will Kakashi-sensei be okay?" "Don't worry. His injuries aren't fatal. He should be fine. I just need to heal a few more wounds." "Hey look, I think he's coming around." Kakashi's eyes began to slowly inch open as the voices around him pieced into his mind. As the light from the morning sun shone brightly in his eyes, a concerned group of shinobi came slowly into view. Everyone else was there in front of him, including his two very worried squadron members. "Ngghh!! What...Where..." "Don't talk to much, your body has received allot of damage." Tsunade ordered, putting her hand up to quiet a mumbling Kakashi. "It looks like you got hit quite bad. What happened to Naruto?" Kakashi eyes just wandered away, not wanting to make contact with the shinobi before him. He felt guilty at having let Saiaku get the better of him and the price to be paid was severe.

"I see. It seems we have a big problem on our hands" Tsunade sighed, standing to her feat. She then turned to Kurenei and Asuma, who both knew the severity of the situation. "You two help Kakashi back to the hospital, Shizune will accompany you there as well. Iruka, you try to find out as much as possible from the villagers, see if there are any witnesses to Naruto's abduction." Iruka nodded in approval before heading off to his task. "The rest of us will continue our search for Naruto. Remember to stay in three member cells, this man is a very dangerous threat." At Tsunade's words, the other genin took off once again, spreading out to look for their missing friend while Kureni and Asuma helped Kakashi off the floor. They both knew that he wasn't one to be easily beaten, Saiaku was a dangerous opponent indeed. As they disappeared from view with Shizune following behind them, Jiraiya approached a frustrated Tsunade. "Are you sure it's a good idea sending teams of genin into such a dangerous situation?" Tsunade turned to face her fellow sanin. She felt the same way he did. It was an incredibly dangerous situation for such young shinobi. "Do you really think they would listen to me even if I tried to hold them back?" Jiraiya just let out a deep sigh. Tsunade was right, there was no stopping Naruto's friends from getting involved now.

They both took off, searching around everywhere they could, trying desperately to find the boy. Both of them couldn't help but think the worst. What if they were too late? What if something had already happened to Naruto? As the genin teams franticly searched the outlying areas of konoha, thoughts ran through a worried Gaara's mind. He was still travelling with Sakura and Sasuke as the three made there way further out of the village. They all knew Saiaku wouldn't have stayed in it's walls and was now probably hiding somewhere in Konoha's outskirts. Gaara's eyes wondered around him, desperately trying to find clues about Naruto's whereabouts. He felt a heavy guilt weighing on his heart for not being able to protect the boy that he had promised to look after. "Guys." Sakura and Sasuke both turned to look at the boy who trailed behind them as the words came from his mouth. "I.. I'm sorry. I wasn't able to help Naruto. I failed him and you both."

Sasuke turned to face forward again. His eyes filled with an unrelenting anguish as the thoughts of his own failures filled his mind. "No!" Gaara and Saukura both looked at Sasuke in surprise as he spoke. "There's no reason to be sorry. You've saved Naruto on more than one occasion. It's me who should be apologizing. I haven't been able to help him once, not even when the chunin ninja attacked us in the village. I was too weak, too useless to defend my own friend!" Small drops of tears began to fall behind Sasuke's cheeks, glimmering in the sunlight as they fell to the ground passing below them. "I... I've failed him and now it may be too late to correct my mistakes!" Sakura's eyes widened in surprise, she had never seen tears fall from Sasuke's face like this. He was always so calm, so collected, never allowing his emotions to hold sway over him. She sped up her pace, coming up beside her teammate as they sailed through the treetops. "Don't worry, we'll find him. We have to!" Sasuke turned his head to face her, giving a small nod of approval. They had to find Naruto no matter the cost.

As the warm morning sunlight shone into the cold desolate ruins on the outskirts of Konoha, a young boys eyes slowly begin to open. As the empty grey walls that surrounded him came into view, Naruto found himself in a desperately precarious situation. His hands had been bound tightly above his head and a tape placed firmly on his mouth muffled any cries for help tried to make. As he shuffled around, trying to free himself from his bonds, a dark chuckle echoed throughout the room. "You'll have to forgive the discomfort, but I couldn't have you running away on me, especially when all the fun is about to begin." Naruto's body froze in fear as his tormenter came into view, stepping out from the shadows that filled the room they both occupied. He walked up to a quivering Naruto and tore the tape off that covered his mouth, causing him to yelp in pain.

"What do you wan from me? Why are you doing this?" Naruto cried, as fear engulfed his entire body. But Saiaku just ignored his questions, walking over to a nearby wall before placing his hands on its cold damp surface. "You know, the walls of these ruins once belong to a grand fortress that stood at Konoha's outer borders, protecting it from all outside invasions. My brother and sister were stationed here. They were both proud to be apart of such an important task. I was proud of them too." Saiaku continued to run his hands along the wall while Naruto watched on anxiously, afraid of what the man might do to him again. "However, it all changed when the monster fox attacked our village on that dreadful day. The shinobi stationed at this fort braved the fury of the nine-tailed monster that came through this way, desperately fighting to delay his advance in order to buy time for the Fourth Hokage's arrival." Saiaku then turned back to Naruto. His eyes were filled with complete hatred as they consumed they boy in their deadly stare.

"My brother and sister both died that night, along with just about everyone else that was stationed here. These ruins are all that remain of there brave sacrifice." Saiaku then walked up to the boy before him and grabbed him by the throat, choking him in his own hands. The boys cries were squeezed out from his breath as his airways tightened. "But you! You, the very embodiment of the monster that killed my family were allowed to live. I had to watch on in anguish as you walked past me every single day, spouting nonsense about how you would one day become Hokage! It sickens me to know that you even existed!" Saiaku then released his grasp on Naruto. The boy's body flopped back down, only being held up by the rope that kept him in place. As he desperately tried to regain his breath, Saiaku turned away from him again. "But now!" he continued, his voice growing deeper and colder. "Now I will avenge their deaths, by removing the monster that ended their lives off the face of the earth. You will suffer, just the way I have suffered!"

Tears began to form in Naruto's desperate eyes, falling over his whiskers down to the cold floor below him. He couldn't understand why he was always seen as the monster that existed inside of him. He remembered what his sensei told him when they were out sitting together the previous day. **_"When someone loses a precious person that is close to them, they often don't know how to handle it. So they take their anguish out in any way they can, often hurting those who don't even deserve the blame."_** As the thoughts of Jiraiya's words filled his mind, a cold realization finally set in. He was all alone again. None of his friends were there to help him and even if they were, he knew that they probably wouldn't be able to save him anyway. A dark shadow began to latch itself on his soul once again as the brooding anger of the man before him filled the room with his deadly intent.

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Naruto's life is once again in turmoil. :'( But his friends are rushing to his aid.  
Thanks again for all the reviews I've received. I really appreciate it! Hope you enjoyed the chapter! :)


	29. Chapter 29 Hope and Despair

**Tears of Hope**

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, nor am I affiliated in any way with Naruto. I just like the show and mangas so I wrote this fanfic.

This fanfic belongs to me. If you want to use it in any way shape or form, you'll need my permission first.

I just can't seem to stop writing this story. I've fallen in love with it's concept and I'm glad to see others enjoying it as well. :D  
I intend to keep the chapters coming in steadily until it's conclusion so enjoy the next chapter!

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**Chapter Twenty Nine - Hope and Despair**

As the warm sunlight pierced through the trees of the forests outside of Konoha, three worried genin hurry through their branches, making there way further from the village trying desperately to find their friend. Gaara, Sakura and Sasuke had covered allot of ground during their sweep of Konoha's outskirts, but their were still no signs of Naruto to be found. Saiaku was an expert of infiltration and assassination, he knew how to cover his tracks and move unseen. They would need a miracle to point them in the right direction now. As the genin moved along the treetops, Sasuke suddenly stopped in his tracks. "What's wrong?" Sakura asked while coming to a halt beside him. Sasuke searched the entire area, his vision being enhanced by the sharingan in his eyes. "This part of the forest looks younger than the rest, almost as though it was completely destroyed at one point before re-growing anew."

Gaara and Sakura both looked at the environment around them. Neither of them had noticed it before, but they could now see what the Uchiha was talking about. "Do... do you think this has something to do with the nine tailed fox's attack?" Sasuke nodded his head before continuing. "It looks as though it passed through this way while moving towards the village. The scars of destruction are still visible if you look closely enough." Sasuke then proceeded to jump to the top of the tree they were perched on. His eyes scanned the area for any clues he could find. His enhanced focus then caught sight of a small outcropping of stone jutting out in the far distance. "We should head in that direction, it looks like their may be some ruins lying out over there. It would be a perfect place to hide." With that, the three of them resumed their traveling, heading off to the distant ruins. It was a long shot, but there was a chance that Naruto may have been somewhere inside.

Somewhere inside the desolate walls of the once proud fortress, cold, brutal eyes focussed intently on the panicked boy they held in their gaze, tearing his fearful soul apart with their cruel, torturous stare. Saiaku didn't want to just kill Naruto, he wanted to break his spirit as well. Physical torture could only do so much damage, but the damage done to one's heart could leave a lasting, painful wound that would never heal. He walked up to the quivering form before him and kneeled down to look into his eyes. They were filled with complete despair and hopelessness as they reflected Saiaku's image back towards him, with tears continuing to fill inside. Saiaku revelled in the sight, grinning at the pain he saw before him. But he would cause even more pain, more hopelessness. Saiaku would ensure that Naruto's soul would be completely destroyed before he snuffed out the boy's life.

"You know, your friends aren't coming for you this time. In fact they probably aren't even bothering to try and find you" he snickered, watching as Naruto cringed at his words. "Why would they care about a monster like you anyway?" "You're lying!" Naruto cried desperately trying to fight away the thoughts of being abandoned into a lonely hell once again. "They've all been there for me, all trying to help me when I had lost myself. Why would they do that if they didn't care?!" Saiaku just stood back up to his feet, looking down on Naruto as a small snicker left his mouth. "Isn't it obvious? They have been ordered to be kind to you, just like the villagers were ordered to keep quiet about the Kyuubi for all these years. They lied to you back then and they're lying to you now as well! What makes you think that anything has changed?!"

Saiaku's words struck deeply into Naruto's heart, filling it with doubt as they inched there way deeper and deeper. "But.. but why would they go through all that trouble to lie to me?" Naruto sobbed, trying to desperately to remove the dark doubts that had now filled his mind. "It's simple. They are afraid of what might happen if you managed released the Kyuubi's power. So they had to keep you under their little fingers and make sure you did as they wanted. What better way to control a mind, than to take hold of it's emotions." Naruto sank in defeat. Maybe Saiaku was right, maybe he was nothing more than a monster in the eyes of his companions. If the villagers hated him so much, why would his friends be any different? Why would they accept him when no-one else would?

Saiaku noticed the boy's anguish as his soul began to dampen. He was slowly beginning to lose all hope, slowly falling into the darkness that was now gripping at his feet. It wouldn't be long before he was completely consumed by it's deadly embrace. But he wasn't finished yet, there was still more damage to be done. "You should be thanking me!" he continued, gaining the boy's attention once again as the venomous words left his mouth. "By killing you, I'm actually doing your friends a favor. As long as you're alive, they will always be in danger. Someday you might have hurt one of them, or even killed them. Would you be able to live with yourself if that ever came to pass?" Naruto's eyes fell to the floor again. He remembered back to when he had fought Haku in the land of waves. How he had almost completely lost control of his mind at seeing Sasuke being struck down. The rage and power that surged through his body at the time had scared him completely. What if he had accidently hurt someone precious to him with that power? As more doubts filled his mind, he finally began to accept his fate. Maybe he deserved to die after all. Maybe the world and his friends would be better off without him.

As Sasuke, Sakura and Gaara made there way through the deep forests that bordered Konoha, they finally arrived at the ruins they had been searching for. As they landed before it's large, tattered form, they all couldn't help but feel an anguished knot form in their hearts. It was as though there was a thick presence of evil filling the air around them. "We should send for back-up before going inside, it could be dangerous for us" Sakura murmured turning to the anxious companions beside her. "We don't have time to wait for back-up! What if Naruto is in there and needs us right now?!" Sasuke scowled, growing impatient as the three waited there. Gaara nodded in agreement, they would have to act fast. He quickly pulled a small scroll out of his pocket and formed some hand seals. As he placed his hand in the centre of the open sheet, a small mechanical bird burst into existence. "This is one of my brothers puppets. He gave it to me to use in case of trouble like this. It can track a persons chakra signature and seek them out over long distances."

Gaara then wrote down a small message and placed it inside the small bird. "I've written down our location and situation inside. Hopefully it will reach it's destination in time." With that the boy sent the puppet on it's way, watching as it slowly disappeared from view. They then turned back to the ruins and slowly proceeded to enter inside. As they walked through the damp passageways that filled it's interior, small sobs echoed quietly off the walls. Sounds of torture and despair could be clearly heard following in their wake. "Naruto!" Sasuke quickly shot ahead, moving towards the shallow cries, trying to follow them to their source. Gaara and Sakura trailed closely behind, ready to act when needed. It seemed as though they had found the right place and they were not yet out of time. The battle to save their friend would soon begin.

Inside the damp room that held Naruto, a now satisfied Saiaku began his final preparations. He had watched on as Naruto's will to live left his eyes and he was now ready to deliver the final blow. He formed a few seals, causing his hand to glow in a terrifying current of electricity. As he walked up to the boy before him, his glowing arm raised into the air, pointing firmly towards his target. "Don't worry! It will only hurt for a while!" he snickered, grinning at the thought of his triumph. Thoughts flashed through Naruto's mind as his demise came to bare in front of him. Thoughts of all the trials he had faced, all the cruelty and hardships he had to endure. But as the cold, dark nightmares repeated over and over again, a sudden glimmer of light flashed in his soul. The warm smiles of those precious to him began to appear before his eyes. Their soft words of comfort and support, the way they fought to protect him even risking their own lives. It all came rushing back to him, filling his heart with the warm promise of their hope. The words of support that were engraved on his headband flashed through his mind and sank into his heart. The dark, cold room around him slowly faded away as the calming light enveloped him in it's warm embrace. He no longer felt alone.

Naruto suddenly raised his head to face the man who was ready to kill him. Saiaku instantly noticed a small glimmer of light flash inside the once empty blue eyes that stared back at him. "You're wrong!" Naruto cried, surprising the jounin as he prepared to strike. "My friends do care for me. I could see it in their eyes when they looked at me without any hatred. I could hear it in their voices when they spoke soft words of kindness and I could feel it in their touch when they held me in comfort. The only one who's truly in the darkness is you! You're the one who is truly alone!" Saiaku growled as the words came from Naruto's mouth. His body tightened in anger as he spat out furious words of hatred in reply.

"Fine, if they really care about you, then they can give you proper funeral with whatever is left of your body! I'll take the life straight out from those eyes!" Saiaku then charged his attack and began to release it's destructive power. "Die now monster!" As the electricity surged to the tip of his hand, a sudden blast sounded at the nearby wall. A large plume of dust and debris hurtled from its surface as the screeching sound of a thousand singing birds tore into the room. As the dust and debris slowly disappeared, a dark haired boy came slowly into view, with red eyes glowing furiously in the darkness. "You're the only one who's going to die here!"

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The battle for Naruto's survival begins in the next chapter! Hope you enjoyed!


	30. Chapter 30 A Final Sacrifice

**Tears of Hope**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto, nor am I affiliated in any way with Naruto. I just like the show and mangas so I wrote this fanfic.

This fanfic belongs to me. If you want to use it in any way shape or form, you'll need my permission first.

I've hit chapter 30! And it's a big one too! Hope you enjoy!  
This chapter was a fair amount longer than any other, but I didn't want to split it into two separate ones. The battle for Naruto's survival rages on!

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**Chapter Thirty - A Final Sacrifice**

A large explosion of dust and rock sounded throughout the room, revealing furious red eyes that peered from the sshadows. Naruto and Saiaku both looked on in surprise as the dust cleared from the air. "S.. Sasuke!" Naruto yelped as the enraged Uchiha walked into view, with an equally upset Gaara and Sakura at his sides. "Your battle is with us now! Leave Naruto alone!" Sasuke scowled as his sharingan locked onto the figure that stood before them. Saiaku just turned to look down at a stunned Naruto. He could see the sudden glimmer of renewed hope on the boys face, as well as an opportunity. He would now make Naruto watch as his companions were killed in front of his eyes. "Hahahaha! So these are your precious friends!" He howled, turning to face the three that stood in defiance of his ambitions. He then looked back down at Naruto and caught the boys gaze. "Perhaps I will still have the opportunity to break your soul after all!"

Naruto's eyes widened in terror. He knew what Saiaku would try to do. "N... no wait! Please don't!" Naruto's words fell on deaf ears as the jounin turned his already prepared attack on his friends. "Raiton! Lightning missile Jutsu!" The burst of electricity shot forward from his hand, trailing towards the genin in a cruel display of deadly power. The three quickly jumped out of the way in time, scattering around the room as the blast impacted the ground between them. As Gaara landed, he quickly unleashed a wave of sand at Saiaku. As it made it's way towards it's target, it split into three separate masses, surrounding the jounin before shooting towards him with deadly speed. Saiaku moved gracefully around the encroaching attack, evading it's movements with almost simplistic ease. As a delicate dance of sand and shinobi ensued, Sasuke quickly formed hand seals, preparing to strike the distracted opponent. A large current of electricity formed over his hand, screeching throughout the damp walls as he moved to attack.

As Saiaku continued to dodge Gaara's sand attacks, jumping of the walls to evade it's grasp, he hurled a volley of kunai at the motionless genin. A shield once again came to the boy's defence, blocking the projectiles before they ever reached him. Naruto could only watch in suspense as Sasuke charged across the room with a chidori in hand, while Gaara kept their opponent's attention away from the attacking boy. As Sasuke closed in the distance between them, Saiaku suddenly caught sight of his advance. "Hmmm, it's the same technique Kakashi used, but it won't work on me!" Saiaku quickly slammed his hand into the ground, pulling up a wall of stone between him and his Sasuke. "That won't stop me!" Sasuke shouted as he slammed his palm into the rigid defence. "Chidori!" As the rock crumbled away under the power of Sasuke's attack, filling the air with debris, a hand grabbed the boy's arm, halting his advance.

"You've made a big mistake! I knew the rock wouldn't stop your attack, It was only meant to slow you down enough for me to counter." With those words Saiaku pulled the boy over his shoulder and proceeded to hurl him across the room. As he came plummeting towards the ground, a quick footed Sakura quickly jumped to catch him, desperately trying to softening his fall. As the two slid along the floor, Sakura quickly tossed an explosive tag towards the unsuspecting joinin trying to catch him off guard. "Do you really think your pathetic attempts to defeat me will work!?" Saiaku growled as he deflected the projectile up towards the roof above them. The burning tag exploded into the ceiling, causing it to collapse down onto the two genin. Naruto watched in horror at the sight of his friends disappearing behind a plume of dust and rocks. "No! Sasuke! Sakura!"

Saiaku turned to the boy as his cries echoed throughout the room. He saw in Naruto's eyes the exact anguish he had been hoping for. "Hahaha! So it seams your friends aren't so tough after all! Maybe they should have stayed away. What does it feel like knowing you're the cause of their deaths?!" Naruto dropped his head in agonizing guilt, he didn't want this. He didn't want to see his friends die for his sake. They were the only ones who gave meaning to his existence and now that meaning had been extinguished. As the tears slowly began to fall from his face a small shifting sound came from the heap of debris as the rocks slowly began to move apart. Naruto looked up in surprise and relief to see an expanding shield of sand pushing outwards, moving the rocks away. "So, the brats are more resilient than I thought" Saiaku murmured as the three genin slowly came into view, Gaara having moved in to protect the other two from the falling rocks. "No matter. I guess this means I can have a bit more fun after all."

"We're not here to play games with you! We are here to take our friend back!" Sasuke scowled. "No please! You guys have to get out of here!" The three turned to see a desperate Naruto calling out to them. "He's to strong for you! I don't want to see my friends dying for my sake! Please just leave me!" Sasuke looked at the eyes of the crying boy. He could see the terror that held him firmly in his grip. "No! I wont abandon you! I've failed you enough times already and I'm not about to make that mistake again." The boy then turned to face Saiaku, his eyes filled with an undying determination to save his friend. "Lets do this!" The three genin resumed their attack on the now amused Saiaku. As Sakura and Sasuke moved to flank him, Gaara continued his long ranged assault, trying to grasp him in a deadly hold. But none of their attacks landed on the skilled jounin. He was just to fast for the three genin and his defensive capabilities rivaled Gaara's own.

Sasuke began to pick up a pattern in Saiaku's actions. His sharingan began to read his body movements, revealing the shinobi's secrets to the Uchiha's observant eyes. "So, he defends himself with earth element jutsu and then counter attacks with long ranged assaults. He also uses his speed to keep himself in a constantly superior position, always ready to act no matter which direction his opponents attack from." Saiaku noticed Sasuke's body movements begin to change, starting to match his own actions more closely. "So, he's picking up on my movement patterns. This kid might be more trouble than he's worth. I have to end this battle sooner in order to avoid any trouble." Saiaku knew all about the sharingan and it's unique abilities. He also knew that the longer a battle with an Uchiha is drawn out, the more dangerous it becomes. The other two would no doubt also begin to notice the boy's change in strategy and act accordingly.

The jounin suddenly paused in his tracks, alerting his three opponents as they watched him with cautious eyes. They all stood there, wondering what he was up to now. "I'm sorry we couldn't have more fun together, but it's time for this to end now!" Saiaku growled as a surge of electricity once again began to form at his hand. He shot his eyes over to a lone Sakura, locking her into his sights as he released his jutsu. "Raiton! Lighting missile jutsu!" Sakura's eyes widened in fear as the terrifying blast moved towards her. The whole world seemed to slow down to a crawl as the girls demise approached. Cries of anguish fell from Naruto's mouth as he watched the hopeless development, unable to act to save his companion. Just before the jutsu hit it's mark, Gaara suddenly appeared in front of the girl, quickly trying to form a wall of sand to defend them. A large explosion ensued as the stream of lightning hits it's mark, sending the two hurtling to the ground. Gaara's shield managed to block most of the impact, but the attack was too powerful to stop completely.

As their bodies squirmed in agonizing pain, both of them tried desperately to pick themselves off the floor, but they were too battered and could hardly even move. "Hahaha! So that's two down, two to go!" Saiaku smirked, forming another surge of electricity in his hand again. His eyes wondered over to a panicked Sasuke, freezing him in his stare as he raised his hand to attack again. "Don't kill him! I'm the one yo want! He has nothing to do with this!" Saiaku turned to face Naruto as the boy's cries for mercy sounded throughout the air. He was now growing impatient over the constant pleas that came from his mouth. "Hmmm, perhaps you should watch while the friend you're trying so desperately to rescue dies in front of you." Saiaku snickered, turning again to face the Uchiha. Sasuke's eyes widened in horror at the jounin's words, watching in shock as he turned his attack on the restrained boy. There was no hope for Naruto to dodge the deadly blast that now made it's way over to his location.

Sasuke quickly pulled out a windmill shuriken and hurled it at the base of the ropes that held Naruto in restraint, arriving just in time to cut his bonds. The boy came tumbling to the ground just as the stream of lighting passed over him, forming a large gaping hole in the wall it impacted. Naruto quickly curled up into a ball, covering his head with his hands as the rock and debris came crashing around him, missing him by only a few inches. "So, you want to die first then!?" Saiaku growled at Sasuke, now growing completely infuriated. "Fine, I'll kill the monster last!" Naruto looked up to see another surge of lightning making it's way to a terrified Sasuke. He quickly jumped up to his feet and ran over to his friend as quickly as his body allowed, desperately trying to protect him from the attack. He closed his eyes as the tears began to run down his cheeks. Thoughts began to run through his mind. All the memories of how his friends had tried so hard to lift him out of the darkness. How they had finally given meaning to his existence and made him feel truly happy. As the smiles on their faces flashed warmly in front of his closed eyes, a final vow embedded itself into his heart. He had to save Sasuke, even if it meant his own death. It was a price he was willing to pay to protect those precious to him who had saved him from his lonely hell. He was no longer afraid of death, in fact he would welcome it with open arms.

As the blinding light pierced into Sasuke's eyes, making it's way to the frozen boy, a sudden flash of blond hair caught his gaze. The sound from the ensuing burst of electricity echoed throughout the room as Naruto's horrified friends watched his smoldering body fall to the floor, having been hit by the jutsu that was meant for Sasuke. As he came crashing down in front of Sasuke, the boy let out a yelp of anguish. "N...Naruto!" he cried, kneeling down to the lifeless body before him. Tears began to fall down the Uchiha's face and onto Naruto as he shook the him back and forth, trying desperately to revive him again. "No! You can't die! You're not supposed to die!" Sasuke put his trembling hand on Naruto's neck to feel for a pulse, but there was none. As the motionless, battered form of his friend sank into his eyes, Sasuke gave out an excruciating cry, releasing the terrible fury that now built up inside of him. Sakura and Gaara looked on in complete disbelief at what had just happened, neither of them being able to make their way over to help.

"Hmhmhmhahahaha! So the monster got what he wanted after all. Although I can't say I'm not pleased with this little development." Sasuke's eyes tightened as the cruel words fell off Saiaku's lips. "Shut up" he murmured, as the tears continued to fall down his face. "I'm sorry, but I couldn't quite hear what you said through all that sobbing." "I said SHUT UP!!" Sasuke's voice grew louder, filling with an inner furious inner rage as his unforgiving eyes raised to meet Saiaku's. **"I'M GOING TO KILL YOU!!**" The boy jumped to his feet and quickly formed another chidori in his hand. In it was filled all of the anger and all of the despair he now felt inside. "Not this again! Haven't you learned anything?" Saiaku sighed as he stepped into a defensive stance, ready to receive the boy's attack. Sasuke charged forward in a dreadful stride, destroying the floor beneath him as the power of his jutsu dragged over it's surface. Saiaku just pulled up another defensive wall between them, ready to counter the impending blow.

"THAT WON'T SAVE YOU THIS TIME!" Sasuke growled, jumping into the air. He slammed his two hands into one another, splitting the chidori evenly between them. As both of his hands now burned with it's surging power, Sasuke plummeted down towards his target. "Aaaaaaahhhhhh!" As he slammed one of his hands through the defensive shield that surrounded Saiaku, his arm was once again caught in the jounin's firm grip. "You haven't learned anything after all" Saiaku smirked as his gazed locked onto the boy's enraged eyes. "Actually, I've learned allot more than you think!" Sasuke then proceeded to slam his other palm straight into the chest of the surprised jounin, impaling him with a final, deadly blow. Saiaku looked down in disbelief as Sasuke pulled his hand from his body, leaving a large gaping wound behind. He slowly released Sasuke from his grip as blood trickled down from his mouth. "H... how 'cough' foolish... of me." With those last words, the jounin came crashing to the ground. He caught one last glimpse of the lifeless boy on the floor before darkness took hold of him.

Sasuke's eyes returned to normal as Saiaku's lifeless body collapsed at his feet. After a few moments passed, he turned around to face a still motionless Naruto and ran up to kneel beside him. Sasuke then rolled Naruto's battered body onto his back, sitting him in his lap with the boy's head against his chest. Sasuke just let the tears fall from his eyes while the boy's cold body lay quietly in his arms. Sakura and Gaara both managed to crawl their way over to the two, coming up beside Sasuke as they both cried in desperation. "I.. I couldn't save him!" Sasuke sobbed as Sakura placed her hand on his quivering shoulder. The three just sat there, looking down on Naruto's calm face, unable to accept what had just happened. He seemed so peaceful, almost as though he had already accepted the fate that had encroached upon him. "Why? Why did he have to do that? Why is it always him who must be dragged into the darkness? It isn't fair!" As sobs of dismay carried the words of Naruto's friends, a call echoed softly throughout the ruin walls gaining the attention of the distraught genin. The three looked up to see Tsunade and Jiraiya darting into view. "We received you're message and came as soon... N... Naruto!" Tsunade gulped as she looked at the broken body held in Sasuke's arms. The two ran up to where he lay, Tsunade checking the boys vitals as she knelt down beside him. Tears began to form down her cheeks as a terrible realization set in, they were already to late.

As the cold night air slowly began to envelope the desolate ruins in which Naruto lay, tears of anguish fell softly to the ground around him, embedding themselves in the damp stone. Naruto had sacrificed himself to protect the friends he cared so deeply for. To him, it was a death worth dying for the sake of those precious to him. Tsunade took Naruto's lifeless body into her own hands, holding it tightly as they all turned to leave for Konoha. She wouldn't allow herself to believe that Naruto was dead, her heart just couldn't accept it. As the shinobi made their way back to the village, the same prayers whispered from all of their lips, they all wished for a miracle to bring back the precious person from the eternal darkness that had now stolen him away from them. The tears of their only hope fell gently under the night sky.

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It's not finished yet! Be ready for the next chapter! :'(  
Please review! Thanks for the comments I've received so far!


	31. Chapter 31 Escape From Darkness

**Tears of Hope**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto, nor am I affiliated in any way with Naruto. I just like the show and mangas so I wrote this fanfic.

This fanfic belongs to me. If you want to use it in any way shape or form, you'll need my permission first.

The next chapter is here. This was another long one again. Mostly because of it's importance in regards to the story. Hope you enjoy!

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**Chapter Thirty One - Escape From Darkness**

"Ngggh! Wh... where... am I?" As the heavy eyes of a young boy slowly began to open, filling with the darkness of the room around him, a familiar scene entered into his staggering sight. The damp cold floor that his body lay upon filled his bones with their chilling grip. "Why can't I move? Why is my body in so much pain?" As Naruto slowly raised his head from the floor, a murmuring growl echoed of the walls around him, drawing his gaze to the large iron bars that he was all too familiar with. "This is where... the fox... is sealed" he thought to himself as he slowly dragged his way to the iron bars. Another mumbling growl echoed around the room as the boy came closer to where the Kyuubi had been imprisoned. Naruto had never heard the beast sound like this before. He could hear pain and anguish filling the wake of it's exhausted murmurs.

As Naruto finally reached the rusted iron bars, his eyes searched inside trying to find the nine tailed fox. He eventually caught sight of the large beast, lying still on the floor in the middle of its cage. "Hey... fox, what's going on? Why am I here? And why are you lying on the ground like that?" Naruto murmured, trying desperately to stretch his voice so the Kyuubi could hear him. The great beast shuffled at the sound of Naruto's voice, trying in vain to face his untimely visitor. But it was to no avail, he no longer had the strength to lift himself of the floor. "Hehehehe! So the brat... has come to see me one last time before... before the darkness consumes us both. How... how touching." The Kyuubi's words were interspersed with heavy panting as he tried to speak. Naruto looked on in surprise, he had never seen the fox like this before. "Wh... what do you mean before the darkness consumes us. What's going... on?"

_"Hhhh! It seams as though our luck has finally come to an end. I... I'm dying. I'm dying and so are you with me. That last hit you took spelled doom for us both. I no... longer have... the strength to heal you! I wont be able... to... to save you this time."_ Naruto's eyes began to widen. He suddenly started to remember everything that happened. The way he had been captured by Saiaku and how his friends came to his aid. He remembered how he had jumped in front of the lighting attack that was about to kill Sasuke. "I... I see" Naruto whispered, slowly pulling himself off the ground, using the iron bars as support. As he made his way to his feet, his eyes locked firmly onto the dark wet floor that ran beneath him. "So... I guess this is the end then. At least... at least I died knowing that I could save Sasuke. It's a death that I can be happy with." A dark chuckling sound echoed from inside the cage, drawing Naruto's attention to the fox before him. _"Hehehe. So... that's it then. You're just going to give up. You're just going to allow the dark hell of loneliness to consume you once again?"_

Naruto's eyes began to fill with sadness as the fox's words pierced into his heart. The thought of being alone again destroyed him inside. "What choice do I have? You said yourself that you could do nothing to save me." The fox began to shuffle once again, stirring the water that filled the ground around them._ "You are brave kid, I'll give you that much. But is it really bravery that holds your words true, or simply hopelessness. It's true that my power has diminished. My life is tied to your's and so my strength has been completely drained from me. If you wish to continue to live, you will have to rely on your own will. Only you can pull yourself out of the darkness that consumes you now."_ As the foxes last words pierced into Naruto's ear, the room around them slowly began to fade out of existence. The ground around Naruto's feet vanished beneath him, sending the boy plummeting into a dark, endless abyss. He fell for what seemed like an eternity before light started to fill around him, entering his eyes as his body landed softly on the ground.

Naruto's hands shifted through the soft surface that he now found himself upon. It's green texture shuffled through his fingertips, wavering at his touch. "Grass? Where... where am I now?" Naruto slowly picked himself off the green surface, searching the environment around him to find clues to his whereabouts. He was in the park where he used to play as a small kid. As he looked up to the sky above him, his eyes caught sight of the warm glowing sun, making it's way slowly towards the horizon. "Hey Naruto!" Naruto turned to see a waving Kiba, smiling in his direction as the boy called him over. It was then that Naruto noticed how young he was. He looked like he did when they had just started training at the ninja academy. Naruto then looked down at his own hands, noticing that he to was inhabiting the form of his younger self. He slowly made his way too the boy that called him, his eyes wandering around, searching amongst the other children that filled the park.

All of his other friends were there as well, all playing amongst the trees and swings, chasing each other in a carefree happiness. "Hey what's wrong?" Kiba frowned, looking at the boy's saddened eyes. Naruto just looked up to face him. It hurt him to see his friends smiling around him, knowing that it was all just an illusion. He desperately wanted it to be real, but he knew it wasn't. "You know, Iruka wouldn't have scolded you so badly if you didn't play pranks all the time. I know you may be upset about that, but you should try to be more careful. Now come, lets go do something." Kiba grabbed Naruto's arm and pulled him over to the other children that sat nearby. "Is it okay of Naruto joins us?" he smiled, gaining the attention of the other familiar faces Naruto recognized. "Kiba, what did I tell you about playing with that boy!" Kiba and Naruto turned to see a dark haired woman walking angrily over to the two boys.

Naruto could tell by her eyes and canines that it was Kiba's mother and she looked furious as well. Akamaru gave a yap of dismay as she took hold of the Kiba's hand and led him away. "I told you not to go near him. He's nothing but trouble!" Tears began to fill in Naruto's eyes as watched them storm into the distance, disappearing from view. Very soon all the other children's parents began to collect them as well, leaving only Naruto behind. His heart began to fill with a desperate loneliness as the cold night air began to blow onto his sensitive skin. This was exactly what had happened to him when he was a child. Everything was exactly the same. As sobs of anguish caught hold of the boy, a warm hand fell onto his quivering shoulders. "Hey there. Are you okay Naruto?" Naruto turned to look up to see who's warm words had reached out to him. His eyes met with a concerned looking Iruka standing behind him.

"You know, I didn't mean what I said to you earlier. I... I was just a bit upset that's all." Naruto tried to wipe the tears from his eyes, but his heart would not allow them to stop falling. "It... It's not that. It's just that I'm always alone. I always have to watch everyone else smiling. All the other kids seem so happy, always playing with their parents, but I've always been alone." Naruto's sobs interspersed with his words as tears ran over his lips. Iruka knelt down beside him and pulled him into a warm embrace. "You will never be truly alone. I will always be here for you if you ever need me. Don't ever forget that." As Iruka pulled the boy away from him, their eyes locked into each other. Naruto could see the warmth of his sensei reflecting back into his heart. His tears slowly began to fade away, allowing a small smile to inch it's way onto his face. "Th... thanks Iruka-sensei" Naruto sobbed as his quivering began to calm down. "I can walk you home if you like" the kind hearted teacher smiled as he stood to his feat. "No. That's okay. I think I'll be fine now."

Naruto slowly made his way back to his house, walking along a path that looked down onto a nearby stream. He didn't know why he had been brought here, but he thought it would be a good idea to just let everything happen as it normally would. His eyes suddenly caught the site of a dark haired boy, sitting alone atop a small peer that jutted out of the embankment, running into the gentle stream. "It's Sasuke!" He thought to himself as the boy turned his head to face him. Naruto remembered this day as it happened so many years ago. They were both to stubborn to even look at one another, much less say anything to eachother. But something compelled Naruto to smile at the boy as he looked down at him, catching him by surprise. Sasuke's eyes widened in confusion at what he was seeing and proceeded to smile back. It was a special moment that the two had never shared before, Naruto only wished that they had become friends sooner. As he slowly disappeared from view, Naruto turned to look back at the path in front of him.

Suddenly the world around him filled with darkness once again and Naruto found himself standing in front of the Kyuubi's cage. "He ran up to the bars and shook them with agitation. "Why are you doing this to me? Why are you showing me these memories?" The fox only murmured a small growl before answering. _"Do you... really think I'm doing this. It is your own heart that subjects you... to the memories of your past."_ Naruto looked back down at the floor. It was painful to see all of it over again. The desperate loneliness he felt as he watched the other children happy with their families had torn at his heart. "I can feel your sorrow, your anguish, but your eyes are blind to the truth" the Kyuubi rumbled, his voice wheezing as he tried desperately to speak. "What do you mean I was blind? I saw everything perfectly! All I could see was the happiness around me while I was forced to live a life of loneliness!" _"Then perhaps you should look again!"_ As the fox's words echoed throughout the hallway, Iruka's warm smile flashed in front of his eyes.

"Perhaps you need more time to think." As the Kyuubi's words slowly faded into the shadows, darkness once again began to envelope the Naruto. He eventually found himself standing in a green empty field. Naruto looked down at his hands to see that he was now his current age. His eyes then wondered the open expanse around him, searching for any familiar faces he knew. Before long, he found himself surrounded by the villagers from Konoha. Their cold eyes locked him in their ruthless stare, tearing the boys soul apart with the hateful gaze. Naruto's moved to look at the ground, not wanting to meet the stares of those around him, but he could not hide himself from their hatred as they proceeded to spit words of cruelty his way. **_"No-one cares about you! Why would anyone want a monster like you as a friend?! Monsters don't deserve foolish dreams like becoming Hokage!"_** He had heard it all before, the same hateful words that had haunted him his entire life.

Tears began to fall from the Naruto's face again. He didn't want to hear it anymore. He just wanted them to go away, to leave him to die in peace. "Why... why do I have to live through all of this pain and suffering again? Why is this happening to me?" As Naruto's gaze searched the floor he caught site of his headband lying in the grass. He picked the shiny object up into his hands, looking into it's reflection to see his anguished eyes staring back at him. As he studied it more closely, the engravings of his friends words of comfort caught his eyes, reminding him of Sasuke's words on the night of his birthday. **_"No matter how tough things seem to get, all you have to do is read those words to know that you're never alone."_** Suddenly, a warm hand gripped Naruto's own, locking it in a tight squeeze. Naruto looked to his side to see Sakura smiling towards him. Another hand then landed on the boys opposite shoulder. "You're never alone as long as we're here to protect you." It was Sasuke. Both of his friends stood at his side, gently comforting him as the cruel whispers around him slowly began to fade away.

As the villagers disappeared from view, the rest of Naruto's friends slowly began to appear around him, all smiling in his direction as the boy looked upon their faces. They were the ones who had saved him from the lonely hell that consumed his soul, the ones that gave meaning to his existence. As he gazed into their warm eyes, a realization began to form in his heart. He didn't want to die, he didn't want to be alone anymore. He just wanted to be with his friends, to feel loved and wanted by those around him. His thoughts raced back to his birthday, when they had all embraced him tightly in their arms. He felt so happy in that moment, so... alive. As the warm memories began to leave his mind, the friends that surrounded him slowly turned to dust, blowing away into the gentle breeze that came over the field.

"No! Wait!" Naruto yelped, as he chased after the glimmering speckles reflecting in the sun. "Please, don't leave me alone, don't abandon me!" As the dust slowly began to disappear from view, Naruto staggered and fell to the ground. The tears in his eyes seeped into the grass as cries fell from his lips. "Please! I.. I don't want to be alone anymore. I don't want to be trapped in that nightmare again." Naruto just lay there on the soft grass, sobbing in anguish. The world around him fell into darkness once again, leaving only Naruto and his tears in its cold empty despair. "I don't want to die. I want to live and be with the ones I love." As Naruto's cries echoed into the darkness he felt a sudden pull on his heart. Something tugged at him, firmly trying to bring him towards it's embrace. He felt a warm hand touch his arm as voices began to call out his name. "Naruto!"

The darkness around Naruto slowly began to peel away as his eyes inched their way open. The blank hospital walls he had become so accustomed to began to make their way into view once again. "Naruto!" Naruto looked to his side to see a teary eyed Sakura holding his hand with an equally distraught Sasuke standing behind her. "Sakura... Sasuke!" Naruto's voice was dry and raspy as he desperately tried to speak. "Oh Naruto!" Sakura's leapt onto the boy, embracing him as her tears fell onto his chest. His upper body was once again completely bandaged due to the wounds he received from Saiaku. "I heard you calling out to me, pulling me from the darkness" he whispered as the girl's head rested on top of him. He then looked around to see all those that were precious to him standing in the room. Their eyes filled with relief as they watched the boy come back to life before them. "You... really had us going there" Sasuke sobbed as his own emotions began to take hold of him. Naruto looked over to the dark haired boy as tears also ran down his cheeks.

Sasuke walked over to the stunned Naruto and proceeded to embrace him as well. "I... I thought I was gone for good" Naruto murmured. "Tsunade gave out a huge sigh of relief. "We thought so too, but somehow I knew you would surprise us once again, just like you've always done before." "Yea, but please, next time don't give us such a scare" Sasuke grinned, pulling away from his friend. Naruto returned the smile as best as his body would allow. Sasuke then proceeded to pull out the headband they had given Naruto for his birthday. "I think this belongs to you, he smirked as he placed it on the table beside the boy. All the while an overjoyed Jiraiya couldn't hold his own tears back as he watched his pupil's eyes filled with life once again. It was odd to see one of the legendary sanin allowing his emotions to get the better of him. Everyone else was also ecstatic, even Gaara's normally stoic expression couldn't hide the relief he felt inside. Naruto looked across the room around him. He was no longer alone, no longer consumed by darkness. He felt only warmth and love filling into his heart.

_"So, you've.. managed to pull through... after all."_ Naruto recognized the voice that now reached out to him. It was the Kyuubi. _"I guess this means we're almost even, barring a few more favours on your part."_ Naruto just pouted at the sound of his words, confusing everyone else as they glanced at his expression. "I thought you'd be happy to be alive" Gaara smirked, realizing what had probably caused the boy's reaction. "Maybe some ramen will cheer you up. Although you'll probably need Sakura to feed you again." Naruto's eyes glimmered at the sound of the sand shinob's words. Laughs echoed throughout the room at the sight of the boy's glee, it seemed as though hope had managed to pull the him through impossible odds. His small grin showed the promise that things may finally come right for the boy after all.

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There's still more to come, It's not over yet! (Although it's getting there)  
Hope you enjoyed and please review! :)


	32. Chapter 32 Recovery

**Tears of Hope**

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, nor am I affiliated in any way with Naruto. I just like the show and mangas so I wrote this fanfic.

This fanfic belongs to me. If you want to use it in any way shape or form, you'll need my permission first.

I'm sure that chapter 30 surprised a few people that read it, while the previous chapter no doubt brought some relief to our Naruto fans. lol. What can I say? :)  
Naruto takes important steps on the road to recovery, healing the wounds in his heart as well as the physical ones. But there is still one final obstacle that stands in his way.  
Hope you enjoy! :)

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**Chapter Thirty Two - Recovery**

Small winces of pain once again sounded throughout the empty walls of the hospital room Naruto found himself stuck in again. It had been a few days since he had found himself waking up in the hospital and Tsunade was taking off his bandages once more. "You know, you really should try to be more careful. We don't want to make a habit of this now do we?" She smiled as she watched the boy's face cringe in anguish. Naruto just gave off a small smirk, although it hardly came out right as his expression tightened in agony. "Well, that's Naruto for you. Always getting himself into trouble as usual." Naruto looked up to Sasuke as he smirked off his words. "Heh. As far as I can... recall, I was the once saving... your hide for once." Sasuke just smiled. He was happy to see Naruto returning to his normal self once again. The nightmares of seeing his lifeless body lying in his arms still haunted the raven-haired boy, but he was glad that Naruto was finally coming out of the darkness.

Gaara and Sakura were also in the room, both watching with amusement as the scene played out. They had all stayed there at the hospital the whole time, none of them leaving Naruto's side even once while he was there. Tsunade didn't even bother to try call them out for missions, knowing that they would refuse her without question. As the last few bandages were unwrapped, Tsunade examined the injuries on Naruto's chest and arms. She gave off a warm smile as she noticed the remarkable recovery he had made in only a few days. "Well, it looks like some of the fox's chakra is taking effect again. Your wounds are healing faster than they were the last time, although I think it will be a few more days before you're fully recovered." Naruto's face lit up at Tsunade's words. He was tired of being stuck in the hospital and was now more than ready to leave it's drab, boring walls. "The first thing I'm gonna do is hit Ichiraku's and have as many bowls of ramen as I can eat!" the boy smiled as the thought of his favorite food seeped into his mind.

"Honestly! You've just been through a near death experience and all you can think of is food!" Sakura sighed. But she was actually really happy to hear those words coming from Naruto's mouth. It was a typical thing for the boy to say and she took that as a very good sign. "Well, perhaps you can go sooner than we thought. If you like, I'll allow you to leave the hospital today, provided you're accompanied at all times. Gaara, Sakura and Sasuke, you three will have to help him around for the next few days if you don't mind." There were no arguments with Tsunade's suggestion, only nods of approval. None of them could even think of leaving Naruto by himself and besides, he could hardly walk without support in any case. "Very well, I'll leave it to you then. Naruto, I've brought over a fresh change of clothes for you. You should clean up before heading out anywhere." With those words Tsunade walked out the door, leaving the four behind.

"So, where should we go today?" Sakura smiled with glee, ecstatic at the thought of seeing Naruto up on his feet again. "Well, I think we should stop off at my place first. I haven't been home in quite a while and I'm sure that there must be an inch thick layer of dust covering it by now. Then we can head of to Ichiraku's for some ramen." Everyone approved Naruto's plan and helped him out of bed, leading him down the hallway to the change rooms to get cleaned up. Gaara and Sasuke both held his arms, making sure that the boy didn't accidently fall, knowing that he was still in quite allot of pain. They waited outside the door while Naruto washed himself, watching carefully for any signs of possible trouble. Although Saiaku had been defeated, there were still those who looked at Naruto with hatred in their eyes and they had to be careful of any further incidents.

As the door slowly clicked open everyone turned to see Naruto step out into the hallway. He was once again wearing his usual orange pants, black shirt and blue footwear while the necklace he had received from Tsunade hung from his neck. As he stood in front of the waiting genin, he pulled out his headband and tied it onto his forehead. "I haven't worn this for a while. It feels good to have it back again." They then made there way out of the hospital and headed to Naruto's home. As they shuffled through the busy streets of the village, a few villagers caught sight of Naruto, whispering as the four walked by. But he wasn't bothered by their words. As long as his friends were by his side he felt safe, almost as though he couldn't hear them at all. As they slowly climbed the steps up to Naruto's apartment, Sakura pulled out the keys to go inside. She had received them from Tsunade, who had kept them while Naruto was in hospital so that she could bring him clothes.

She unlocked the door and opened it for everyone to enter, waiting aside while Gaara and Sasuke helped Naruto through. It was a very small room with a bed and table filling most of its space. There was also a tiny kitchen to the side and a single bathroom. It looked as though it had been abandoned for months, the shelves were mostly empty, barring a few packets of instant ramen and dust had found it's way into just about every nook and cranny. "It's okay, you guys can let go now." Naruto murmured, pulling away from the hands that gripped his arms. Gaara and Sasuke proceeded to do as the boy asked and watched as he made his way over to his bed, sitting at its base. "Well, I guess it's gonna take a while to clean this place up" Naruto sighed, looking at the state of the room around him. Sakura sat on the bed beside him and put her hand on his shoulder. "Don't worry, we'll all come in and help you, but first I think we should get a bite to eat. What do you say?"

Naruto looked up at the pink haired girl and gave off a warm smile. Buy now he was desperately hungry and the rumbling in his stomach stood in testimony of that fact. The four then proceeded to make there way outside once again, heading off to Ichiraku's. As they walked into the small restaurant occupying the side of the street, an overjoyed old man came to the front counter, pleased to see his favorite customer return. "I haven't seen you here in quite some time, where have you been?" he smiled, as the four genin took a seat. "Well, I've just had a few problems lately. I guess you could say I've been bed ridden for the last few days." Naruto murmured as he tried to make himself comfortable. The restaurant owner looked down at the aching body of the boy before him. He could see the signs of injuries clearly on his arms and face. It wasn't the first time Naruto had arrived at his store with a few cuts and bruises, but this was the worst condition he had seen Naruto in yet. "Well, I guess it's the usual then" he smiled, as four bowls of steaming ramen were placed in front of his guests.

Everyone dug in straight away, Naruto having already plowed through two bowls before anyone else had finished their first. "Well, I guess this means his appetite is returning to normal" Sakura thought to herself as she watched the boy wolf down another helping. Gaara all the while watched on in complete surprise. He had never seen someone eat so much food in all his life, especially someone who had just been in hospital only a few moments before. As the four of them finally finished their meals, Naruto let out a deep sigh of relief. He then gave a warm-hearted "thank you" before Sasuke handed over money for the bill. "Oh no! That won't be necessary. Consider this one on the house" the old man proclaimed, turning the Uchiha's hand away. "Thanks old man!" Naruto smiled in reply. "Anything for my favorite customer! Just make sure you don't wait so long before returning next time!" The three walked out of view while he waved them off. "Hmmm. That kid has had it rough" he thought to himself, remembering the marks on Naruto's body. "But at least he has friends to support him along they way."

Not knowing where to go next, the four of them just wandered the streets of Konoha, allowing fate to lead them to wherever it decided. They eventual found themselves entering into the familiar view of the training grounds, where team 7 had past Kakashi's first test to them. Naruto began to breath heavily, alerting his companions to his obvious exhaustion. They walked him over to the three logs that stood out of the grass, causing a smile to form on Sasuke's face as he caught site of them. "Remember when the we first took the bell test from Kakashi. He had only two bells even though there were three of us and the one who didn't get a bell from him would go without lunch. We were all so separated back then, neither one of us working as a team to achieve our goal. We've come a long way since then of course" Sasuke smirked as they sat down on the soft grass. Naruto turned to face the boy as the fond memories filled his mind. "Of course, I got tied to the pole for trying to steal the food Kakashi kept from us."

A small laugh blurted it's way from Gaara mouth as the images of what Naruto had described popped into his mind. "Hey, what's so funny?" "Oh, it's nothing. Although I can just imagine something like that happening, the way you are with your stomach." Naruto gave off an annoyed pout, causing the other three to laugh at the sight his expression. As they all giggled at the thoughts and memories of the past, a smile etched it's way back onto Naruto's face. The four sat there in the warm afternoon sun, talking about everything they had gone through together. Naruto finally felt like things were returning to normal, like the shadow of the past was slowly being burned away by the hopeful light of the future. "Guys... I just wanted to say thanks for being there for me. I know I've caused allot of trouble for you all, but I appreciate that you stood beside me no matter what happened." The other three looked over at Naruto as the soft words of gratitude fell from his lips. "You would do the same for us" Gaara murmured. "In fact, you already have." Naruto just smiled as Gaara's soft words reached into his heart.

Just then, a large puff of smoke erupted in front of them, causing Sasuke, Gaara and Sakura to jump up in surprise. As the plume began to fade away, Jiraiya slowly came into view, holding his hands up in defense. He was half expecting a volley of kunai to shoot right out at him. "What did I tell you about appearing suddenly like that!" Sasuke once again scowled. Jiraiya just proceeded to lower his hands, grinning at the sight of his pupil. "Well, it's good to see you out and about again" he smiled, searching over the boy's body to see how he was recovering. "Ero-senin. What are you doing here?" "I've come to inform you that Tsunade wants to see you all in her office as soon as possible. She has something to discuss with you so we had best get going." Confusion overcame the genin as they listened to Jiraiya's message. What could Tsunade want with them at this time?

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Well, I think this is the only chapter I will be uploading today. Please review and comment!  
Thanks for the good feedback so far!


	33. Chapter 33 The Last Obstacle

**Tears of Hope**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto, nor am I affiliated in any way with Naruto. I just like the show and mangas so I wrote this fanfic.

This fanfic belongs to me. If you want to use it in any way shape or form, you'll need my permission first.

This is another long chapter. Which means it's an important one. Hope you enjoy! :)  
Naruto is faced with a final obstacle. Will it send him back into the darkness, or will the hope of a brighter future burn brightly in his soul. Read on and find out!

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**Chapter Thirty Three - The Last Obstacle**

The normally bustling streets of Konoha were now suddenly filled with an eerie silence as five shinobi carefully made their way to the Hokage tower. Sasuke and Gaara continued to support Naruto while Sakura walked steadily by their side, checking around carefully for any trouble. Jiraiya walked quietly ahead of them, not saying a single word as their destination slowly came into view. Naruto felt an uneasy knot form in his stomach, he knew something was going on. Everything about the entire situation, from Jiraiya's silence to the relatively empty streets around them, was completely out of place. The other genin were also nervous, all checking around with great curiosity at the sight of empty stores and restaurants.

"W.. what's going on Ero-senin?" Naruto finally mumbled, breaking the uncomfortable silence that had fallen between them. "Why is the village so empty, why are we being called to Baachan's office?" Jiraiya just turned his head back as he continued to walk forward. "I think it's better if Tsunade explained everything to you herself. We had best hurry, we can't keep her waiting for too long." By now everyone was completely overcome with anxiety. It was obvious that something big was happening. As the five of them made there way into the Hokage tower and down the hallway to Tsunade's office, Naruto's anguish raised even further. His breathing became heavy as the fear of what might be happening started to grip his heart. He had a bad feeling about all of this and normally his instincts were right on target.

Even the hallways of the tower were unusually quite. It was a common sight to see message wielding shinobi running up and down the passageways, or high profile clients briefing in mission for the village's ninja to carry out. Once they had approached the door in which the Hokage's office resided, Naruto took a deep breath while they began to enter inside. As they walked through the door, they caught sight of all the other shinobi that had filled the room. The other rookies and their jounin captains were all there, as well as Kakashi and Shizune. Tsunade all the while was seated at her desk as usual, wearing a very stressed expression on her face. The sight of it all caused Naruto himself to stress even more, he knew this had something to do with him. Tsunade caught sight of his nervous face, knowing that what was about to happen would be hard for the boy to endure, but it had to be done for his own good.

As the five shinobi made their way to the centre of the room, Tsunade removed her elbows from the table and sat into the back of her chair. "Well Naruto, I'm sure you're wondering what this is all about and there's no really easy way to say this, so I'll just get straight to the point" she began, now causing the boy to gulp in fear. "I've called for a gathering of all the villagers in Konoha. I think it's about time we settled this whole situation revolving around you and the Kyuubi. These tortures directed at you have gone on long enough and I will no longer tolerate any more cruelty. So we are going to confront them all right now about the incident you were subjected to." Naruto's heart froze completely. The thought of standing in front of all the villagers, with all of their cold, convicting stares piercing into his heart, terrified him.

"Wh.. what? Why.. why? How could you do this to me? You know how they see me. You know the hatred they feel for the monster fox that took away there loved ones. Do you really think that this will change anything at all?!" Naruto's voice was filled with both anger and fear at the same time. He was finally starting to feel like life was returning to normal, but now he wasn't so sure if it ever would. Tsunade just closed her eyes in frustration. She knew that this would be hard for the boy, but there was no alternative. She had to show the villagers that he was just a kid who had feeling and emotions of his own. That he wasn't the monster that inhabited his body. She knew it may all be in vain, but even if she could only convince a few of them, it wouldn't have been a waisted effort.

Kakashi walked up over to the traumatised Naruto and knelt down in front of him, placing his hand on the boy's shoulder. "I know you're afraid of what might happen, but we're all here for you. We'll be at your side the entire time to make sure nothing happens to you." Naruto's eyes met his sensei's, they were filled with both fear and confusion. "But... but I don't care how they see me. I'm happy as long as my friends accept me for who I really am. I couldn't care what happens, as long as they never leave my side." Kakashi's eyes widened in surprise. He couldn't believe that someone could be contempt with such a fate. How his friends could be the only hope he held in his heart to see him through the darkness. "I know what you're trying to say, but this isn't only about your feelings, it's about your safety as well. They were able to get to you more than once and there's no guarantee that they wont be able to do it again. I know you have a kind heart and are very forgiving, but I for one cannot stand to know that there are those in our village who would so readily torture a child for there own comfort. That will simply not suffice as long as we are here!" Kakashi's face now began to fill with an anger all their own. It wasn't right or fair for Naruto to have to give up his own future just for the sake of his friends and the village.

"Kakashi is right, this has to be done." Everyone looked over to Tsunade as she stood up from her chair. She walked up to the shaken Naruto and placed her hand on his back. "Come, lets go. It will be over before you know it." She then proceeded to lead Naruto out the door and down the hallway with everyone else following closely behind her. Sakura and Sasuke quickly ran up to his side, Sakura grabbing the boy's hand and squeezing it in comfort. She could feel his body beginning to quiver in fear. They made their way up to the balcony that overlooked the courtyard in front of the Hokage tower. It was often used when giving out major announcements to the villagers. Tsunade herself was first inaugurated as Hokage atop it's surface in front of all the villagers. But at this moment, she didn't feel like a Hokage. She just couldn't lead a village that was filled with so many hateful hearts, especially considering how important Naruto was to her. He was the whole reason she became Hokage in the first place. His spirit and determination had given her the hope and will to remember her dreams, as well as those of the two precious people she had lost.

Once they had finally arrived on the balcony, Tsunade led Naruto over to it's edge. As the villagers came into view, their eyes quickly turned to see the approaching Hokage. None of the younger generation had been called out, mostly because of them not knowing about the Kyuubi's holder. Only those with knowledge of it's attack on Konoha were present. Naruto's body tightened in anguish at the sight of them all. He froze for a brief moment, almost trying to pull away from their hateful eyes. Sasuke grabbed his arm and held him gently in place. "Don't worry, no-one can harm you while we're here. Just calm down as much as you can." Naruto tried to allow his body to relax. He looked over to his friend and gave a small nod. He then stepped forward again up to the edge of the balcony. As the villagers caught sight of the boy, large roars of detest began to sound throughout the crowd. "So this is what we've been summoned for!? Why is the demon standing there with the Hokage!? Perhaps she's finally decided to get rid of the monster! It's about time they did something!" Naruto's eyes began to fill with tears at the sound of their cruel words, while Tsunade's simply filled with complete rage.

**"SILENCE!! ALL OF YOU JUST SHUT**** UP!!"** A sudden quiet overcame the mob of protesting villagers as Tsunade's enraged voice echoed loudly across the sky. They all looked up in confusion as her infuriated eyes locked them in their crippling stare. "I've called you all here for a very important reason. It seems that there have been allot of distasteful transgressions with regards to the young boy standing beside me." "You call that a boy?! He's nothing but a monster! How many lives were lost because of what he did to our village?!" one of the villagers called out, causing another ruckus to form amongst their ranks. Tsunade lifted her hand, calling for silence once again. "Perhaps some of you have been mislead about the events on the night of the Kyuubi's attack, but as far as I can recall, this boy was the one who saved us all from destruction. If it weren't for the Kyuubi being sealed inside of his body, everyone standing here right now would be dead as well."

Small whispers began to intersperse throughout the crowd as Tsunade's words reached them, causing Naruto to shuffle in anxiety. Eventually a single man stepped forward and began to speak. "My wife was killed on the night of that attack. I was forced to raise our two children on my own. They never knew the love of their mother, and it's all because of the monster that's standing at you side. How can we just accept what you're saying, it's not like he understands the loss that we had to endure. How can we sleep in at night knowing that the monster that almost destroyed our village still lives amongst us?!" Tsunade shook her head in frustration. Why couldn't they just understand what she was saying? "What is wrong with you people?! Why is it so hard for you to see the truth?! Are you so blinded by your anger and sorrow that you can't even see the tortures you're inflicting upon a mere child?!" The man's eyes widened at Tsunade's words. "You think he doesn't' know the pain of loneliness. He grew up without both of his parents. In fact, he didn't even have any family at all and every single one of you made sure he didn't have friends either."

Tsunade's eyes then focussed on the man that had spoken out. "As for you, have you stopped to think about what would have happened if it was one of your children in which the fox was sealed. Would you love them any less knowing what was inside of them?! Would you not do anything you could to protect them, even though you knew how everyone else saw them?" The man's eyes lowered in shame. Tsunade's words struck deep into his heart and a sudden realization began to form. He would have never wanted to see his own children in so much pain, he would never wish them to be seen as monsters when he knew who they really were deep inside. Tsunade noticed his expression change and then continued to speak. "I know there were many lives lost that night, but how many more would have died if it weren't for this boy? How many more loved ones would we be without if it weren't for his sacrifice. He never chose this fate for himself. It was forced upon him without his knowledge or approval. Is it fair for us to condemn him for something he never had any part or say in?"

Tsunade placed her hands on Naruto's shoulder as he stood in front of her, squeezing them gently in comfort. She could feel them quivering as tears fell from his cheeks. It was hard for him to hear everything that was being said, but at the same time Tsunade's words brought some comfort to his heart. They reassured him that he was, in fact, not the monster everyone saw him for. He was just a boy who had a heavy burden to bare. The man that had spoken out earlier began to break down in tears, realizing the grave mistake he had made. Although many villagers could not understand the love of a parent for their child, he understood what Tsunade was saying. He fell to his knees in front of everyone, catching the attention of the sobbing Naruto. "P...please forgive me" he sobbed, surprising the boy as his tears fell to the ground. "I was... so foolishly blinded... by my own hatred and sadness that... I couldn't see the truth. I can only hope you can find it in your heart to accept my apology, although I know it may already be to late."

The man's head touched against the ground. He was unable to look into the eyes of the boy he had treated so cruelly his entire life. The remaining villagers looked at each other in confusion, unable to discern whether or not any of this made sense. Tsunade could see the conflict clearly on their faces. Some of them were filled with guilt while others were still filled with complete denial. She knew that most of them probably wouldn't be able to understand, but she could see that at least some of them realized the error of their ways. Tears continued to stream down Naruto's face. The shock of what had happened had taken him completely by surprise. The old man's words sunk into his heart and reignited the hope that his friends had already given him. He had always wanted to be accepted by everyone around him, it was the only reason he strived to become Hokage in the first place. At one point though, he was contempt to just be accepted by his friends, being happy as long as they stood firmly at his side. This was far beyond anything he could have ever hoped to achieve.

Tsunade looked down at the boy, his body's quivering began to calm down and a sudden warm glow enveloped around him. She then looked up again and raised her voice to speak. "There is nothing more I can say that will make any difference now. I only hope that most of you can find it in your hearts to see the truth. The one's responsible for the recent attack on Naruto have all been identified and banished from Konoha. I will personally deal with anyone discovered further mistreating him from now on!" With that, she dismissed them all, sending them back to there work. Deep inside, she was praying that her message had gotten through. As they all slowly disappeared from sight, Naruto turned around to face the one who had stood up to the entire village for his sake. He wiped the tears from his eyes and desperately tried to murmur his words of gratitude. "T... thank... you" he sobbed, causing Tsunade to kneel down in front of him. She pulled him into a warm hug and stroked his back, removing the last vestiges of stressful emotions that held onto his heart.

"I should be thanking you. You're the one who gave me the strength to carry on. Without you, none of us would be the same people we are today." Jiraiya let out a small chuckle. "That's mostly because all of us would be dead" he laughed, causing a few smiles on the faces of those around him. Naruto pulled away from Tsunade, with a small grin appearing on his own tear drenched face. Tsunade's shoulder was completely soaked by now, but she didn't mind at all. She looked into the boy's glimmering eyes, they were filled with more hope and life than she had ever seen before. "Well I guess it's time to get you home now. We wouldn't want to have you out for too long." Naruto nodded, he was completely exhausted and the thought of resting seemed very approving. "He can stay at my place for tonight" Sasuke blurted, catching the attention of everyone around him. "I don't want to leave him alone just yet and there isn't enough room at his place for the four of us."

Tsunade looked over in confusion. "The four of you?" She then slapped her forehead, realizing what the boy had meant. It was obvious that Gaara and Sakura would want to go with as well. They had been with him this far and they would continue to remain by his side as needed. "Can we come as well?" Sasuke looked over to the other rookies, they all had pleading faces, all wanting to stick with Naruto for the night. "I guess it's alright, there's plenty of room in my families house." Naruto was pleased with the plan, the thought of being alone so soon still unnerved the boy. The older shinobi watched as they made there way out the Hokage tower and down the streets of Konoha, Tsunade waving them off as they slowly disappeared out of view. "It was a good thing you did today" Jiraiya whispered, placing his hand on her shoulder. "I know it was, I just hope it worked."

As the genin made their way up to the Uchiha district, smiles and laughs were shared freely between them. Naruto himself couldn't help but feel the warm glow of hope bursting from his heart. Sasuke and Gaara were still holding his arms. Although he was now finding it much easier to walk, they were still being cautious in case of any more problems. As they continued to share words of friendship between them, something suddenly caught Naruto's eye. A mother called her small daughter over to her and whispered gently into the child's ear. It was the same woman he had seen the first time he had left the hospital days earlier. The boy froze in fear, stopping in his tracks as the girl then proceeded to run up to him. The fearful memories of what had happened before began to take hold of his heart. Naruto's friends instantly noticed his anguish and turned to see the girl making her way towards them, preparing themselves in case of any trouble. As the child stepped in front of the fearful boy, she suddenly threw her arms around him and embraced him tightly.

Sasuke and Gaara both stepped back in surprise, watching intently as the scene played out in front of their eyes. Naruto's body began to quiver in shock, realizing what was taking place. Tears began to run down his cheeks as the girl held him in a warm, comforting hug. "W..what's wrong?" The child murmured, looking up to see the crying boy. Naruto just fell to his knees in her arms, sinking his head into her shoulder while he continued to sob away. The girl's mother slowly walked up to them both and knelt down beside the two, placing her arms around Naruto's quivering shoulders. She moved her head closer to the boy's ear and whispered soft words inside. "I'm so sorry for the trouble I have caused you. I know I would do anything to protect my daughter and I've realized the grave error I made in condemning you. Please forgive me." Naruto's heart filled with a flurry of emotions at the sound of the woman's words. The three just remained there on the ground while Naruto's friends watched on in amazement. They all couldn't help but smile as the comforting sight filled into there hearts. It seemed as though Tsunade's speech made a difference after all. Naruto's future had just become that much brighter.

As the warm sun slowly set beyond the horizon, a new future of hope dawned in Naruto's soul. A hope that would rise out to meet all obstacles standing in his path. His friends would be their beside him all the way, supporting him to the end of his dreams and even further beyond.

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Another chapter will still follow. Hope you enjoyed this one! :)  
Please review!


	34. Chapter 34 A New Family

**Tears of Hope**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto, nor am I affiliated in any way with Naruto. I just like the show and mangas so I wrote this fanfic.

This fanfic belongs to me. If you want to use it in any way shape or form, you'll need my permission first.

I didn't manage to get a chapter out yesterday! :'(  
But I was very busy so you'll have to forgive me. Anyway here it is. Enjoy!

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**Chapter Thirty Four - A New Family**

The soft glow of the setting Konoha sun had now all but diminished as the cool night air slowly set into the now quiet streets. Everyone quietly made their way through the Uchiha district, the thoughts of everything that had just happened running fresh into their minds. The image of Naruto being embraced by those who once shunned him had moved them all in a way they had never thought possible. None of them had realized how such a simple gesture of kindness could have such an emotional effect on the boy's spirit. Some of them shuddered at the thought of how bad Naruto's life must have been, If such an act could bring tears to the normally cheerful boy. Hinata herself was completely unnerved by the awkward silence that had overcome the usually very outspoken boy, but then again allot of things had happened over the last few days that had put Naruto's own belief in himself to the test.

Gaara looked intently at the boy's face as they made their way down the dusty road. Naruto's eyes wondered around aimlessly, never focussing on a single point for more than a few seconds at a time. It was almost as though he were in a trance, consumed by the warm memories that flooded his mind. His face was unusually calm and it glowed with a radiance that put Gaara's own concerns at ease. He could see the positive effects of the day's events in more ways than one. Even though there were only two people who openly admitted their guilt and shame to the boy, it had made all the difference. If, perhaps, there were even more repentant hearts, then maybe Naruto's dreams were not out of reach after all. Gaara's own hope for the future began to spark anew, following everything he had witnessed. Perhaps he too could gain the acceptance of those in his village. He already had a brother and sister who loved him, but he wanted everyone else to appreciate him as well.

Sasuke suddenly stopped in his tracks, right in front of a large house in the middle of the district. A large symbol that was once adorned by the Konoha police force sat atop it's surface. "Well this is home sweet home" Sasuke murmured, snapping Naruto out of the trance that firmly held him. The boy's eyes widened in amazement at the size of it. His apartment was nothing but a pinhead compared to the large house that stood before them. Sasuke let go of the gaping boy's arm and walked up to the entrance to open it. As he slid the door open, everyone began to enter inside, taking their footwear off out of respect. Sakura helped Naruto out of his own, while Gaara stood at his side supporting him. Naruto's head shuffled back and forth, glancing down the fairly long hallways to see where they led. The house's large outside frame deceptively hid it's even larger looking interior. Although it was by no means bigger that the Hyuuga's family household, it still dwarfed most other residences in Konoha. The Uchiha clan always did tend to show if it's individual member's strength and power, rather than a flashy display of wealth and showy artwork that the Hyuuga had adopted.

Once everyone was inside, Sasuke showed them into the living area. It would comfortably fit all of his guests, but the boy seemed to become uneasy at the sight of the filling room. Sakura noticed his stressed face and walked over to see what was wrong. "You... look a bit worried" she murmured, gaining the boy's immediate attention. Sasuke just gave out a deep sigh. "Well... It's just that it's been a long time since anyone has been in this house other than me. No-one else has entered since my... since my brother destroyed my entire clan." Sakura's eyes widened. She had heard about the Uchiha massacre, how one of it's members had killed the rest of the entire clan, except for Sasuke. She just hadn't put the pieces together until now. "So, that's who you wanted to kill, that's why you were so upset when you found out your brother was after Naruto." Sasuke nodded. "I don't want him to take away anyone else important to me. Not again." They both looked back at the boy occupying a seat in the living room. Gaara sat quietly beside Naruto, while he continued to gaze around, his face lighting up in wonder.

Friendly conversations filled the room around them as everyone reflected on the days events. Sakura was surprised that Ino wasn't hanging all over Sasuke, but that was until she noticed her staring intently over at Gaara, with drool seeping down from her mouth. She couldn't help but giggle at the ridiculous sight and it was made even funnier by the exasperated sighs of the Nara sitting beside her. Sasuke made his way over to Naruto and called for the boy's attention, attracting his gaze from the walls around him. "Hey Naruto, I bet you're starving by now!" he grinned, causing the boy's ears to immediately prick up in attention. "How about we all get some food in our stomachs!" Naruto just about jumped out of his seat at the sound of Sasuke's words, almost giving the nearby Gaara a heart attack at his sudden motion. Even his automatic sand defence sprang up at the sudden surprise. Unfortunately, Naruto wasn't the only one whom Sasuke's words had reached and very soon he had a drooling Chouji standing at his side. "Looks like you're gonna be cleaned out of house and home" Sakura snickered, musing at the scene. Sasuke just slapped his forehead while Gaara shook his in disbelief.

The smell of simmering spices filled out the entire house as the kitchen filled with all manner of food. Sasuke had become quite used to cooking for himself, although he would hardly consider his skills anything extraordinary. But by now he had gotten the hang of it enough for it to taste good. Sakura assisted him in any way she could, jumping back and fourth between the large cupboards to fetch any requested ingredients or spices. Even Hinata had opted to help, making tea for all of the guests now waiting patiently in the dining room. She had even surprised Neji with her unusually forward approach to assist them, no doubt wanting to do as much for the blond haired boy she admired as possible. As the invigorating smells teased at the noses of the starving shinobi, Chouji almost couldn't hold himself from losing all sanity. Ino just slammed her annoyed fist into the boy's head, initiating a bored sigh on Shikamaru's part. They were all sitting patiently in the dinning room, gathered around a fairly large table in it's centre. After what felt like an eternity had passed the three temporary chefs walked into the room carrying a tray of delectable meals sitting firmly atop it's surface. Naruto and Chouji both slapped their hands in glee as the food was set in front of them, almost instantly digging away. Both of them shot straight into the meal with deftly enthusiasm, racing to see who could gulp down the most.

"It's a wonder that Naruto doesn't look anything like Chouji by now" Neji smirked watching the frantic display between the two. Their eyes burned with a flare of competitiveness as they shot up, both gazing intently at one another, each one rasing their pace as the other ate faster. "They have such passionate flames burning in there souls! The fire of youth drives them forward to victory!" Lee gasped as he watched the exchange. He shot up from his chair and flew straight into his 'nice guy' pose, teeth glimmering in the warmly lit room. Neji and Tenten just slapped there foreheads in disbelief, they both knew what was coming. "I too will work hard and eat as much as I can! If I don't succeed, I'll do five hundred laps around this very house!" Lee instantly shot back into his meals and began to drive through it with as much enthusiasm as the other two ravenous genin. Gaara almost couldn't contain his laughter as he watched the crazy scene unfolding in front of them, Konoha was definitely filled with strange shinobi. It had become a three way race to the finish and Lee was doing remarkably well for someone who normally didn't consume so much. Although it wasn't known if it was his stomach, or his lack of a properly functioning brain that fueled his new eating binge.

After a few minutes had passed, everyone's eyes fixated on the three exhausted genin, who were now patting their stomachs in satisfaction at having eaten their fill, except for Lee. The table now stood completely empty, with hardly a single scrap of rice remaining. "You... are a... worthy opponent" Chouji panted, desperately trying to look up at the equally exhausted Naruto. The boy flashed back a feral grin, pleased with his own performance despite his handicap. "Hehehe... you too." Lee all the while just collapsed from his chair, completely overwhelmed by the sheer amount of food he had eaten. "That's what you get for taking on two bottomless pits" Neji sighed as he walked over to help the green clad shinobi. It was good that his training outfit could stretch so easily to support his newly expanded waistline. "You really have a self damaging mentality you know that." Everyone burst out in laughter at his words, even Shino appeared to be rather amused. They were all having such a good time that the troubling memories of the previous few days completely melted away.

"Well, I guess we had better clean up" Sasuke smiled, standing from his seat to begin tidying. Everyone else stood to help the boy, their many hands making light work of the messy table. Sasuke made his way back into the kitchen and quickly turned on some water to wash the dishes. As after getting through a few of them, Naruto stumbled up to his side. He placed his hands in the warm, foaming water and began to help scrub the nearest plate. Sasuke turned his head to face Naruto, the boy's eyes seemed to narrow as they focused on the white foams running of his hands. "It's alright, you don't have to..." "No.. I want to help" Naruto cut Sasuke off. "Besides, it's quite relaxing for me anyway." Sasuke smiled and continued to wash away. They both just remained silent the whole time, basking in one another's company. Sakura and Gaara both watched quietly from the doorway. It was good to see the two growing so close together. They were almost always at each other's throats when they had first formed team 7, but now they seemed more like brothers than rivals.

Once they were finished cleaning, everyone made there way back into the living room. They were completely exhausted, but it was well worth the sheer amount of fun they had that night. The old conflicts and rivalries that used to be present between many of them now seemed to be nothing more than a blurred memory. It seemed as though Naruto's plight had brought them all together in a way, forming closer bonds between the rookies. "I'll show you all to your guest rooms" Sasuke yawned, now ready for bed himself. He quickly led them to their respective rooms, separating the four girls amongst them from everyone else. Sakura and Ino were already fighting over there beds when he started to walk away from their door. Neji and Shikamaru dragged the crippled Lee down the hallway to his own bed, gaining a troublesome sigh from the despondent Nara. Naruto all the while shared Sasuke's room, taking on the extra bed that stood inside. In itself, it was already larger than Naruto's apartment. The warm lights that filled the house slowly turned off one buy one, as everyone shouted out their goodnights. Sleep came quickly and without resistance to the exhausted shinobi, all except for Gaara who remained seated in the living room, ever watchful for any danger. The now brightly lit moon shone directly into the room where Naruto and Sasuke slept. It's glowing light touched onto the blond haired boy's face, gently caressing him into a restful sleep.

A few hours had passed by when the restless shuffling of sheets sounded throughout the room. Naruto suddenly woke up in a sweat, wiping his brow as it dripped down from his face. It wasn't a nightmare that woke him up this time though, but more of a flash of the recent memories of that day. Naruto looked around the room to see Sasuke still lying in his bed, apparently sleeping soundly. He then slowly stood up to his feet and quietly wondered around the room, searching the contents of the table that sat nearby. His eyes moved atop it's surface, catching sight of a small picture. Naruto picked it up and looked to see who it contained. He could see a much younger Sasuke, with two adults standing beside him. They were probably his mother and father. There was also a fourth person standing closely to their right, but it's face had been burned out. Naruto could guess who it was though. "I dream about them every night when I sleep." Naruto jumped around at the sound of Sasuke's voice, ashamed that he had been caught looking through his belongings. "Don't worry, it's okay" Sasuke murmured, calming the boy down. Naruto looked back down at the picture in his hands. He remained quiet for a while before finally speaking. "Did... did you love them?" Naruto muttered as his eyes began to narrow intensely. Sasuke just nodded. "Every day I wonder what it would be like if they were still alive. How different a person would I be today if I still had them standing beside me. Who knows maybe I would have been less of a jerk and had more friends."

Naruto looked up to the boy in front of him. Sasuke's face was filled with both sorrow and anguish. "You're not a jerk, well not always anyway. People just... don't understand you that's all." Sasuke's eyes widened at the sound of Naruto's words. he had never expected to hear them coming from the boy he'd always treated so poorly before. Naruto then looked back at the picture in his hands and continued to speak. "At least... at least you have fond memories of your family inside your heart. I didn't even know my parents. I don't even know their names or who they were. I never had any family to love me. Maybe I was just born a monster." Sasuke put his arm on Naruto's shoulder. "It doesn't matter how you were born, what matters is how you live your life. We are your family now and well always be there for you." Naruto felt his heart pull at the sound of Sasuke's words. "The truth is, you're more of a brother to me now than anything else."

Tears began to fall down Naruto's cheeks as Sasuke's unusually kind words dug into his soul. He just threw his arms around the Uchiha, surprising the raven-haired boy completely. His body stiffened as Naruto held him tightly, gently sobbing on his shoulder and then eventually relaxed again as he began to return the hug. "We better not let anyone see us like this, I have a reputation to uphold" Sasuke smirked, causing Naruto to giggle through his sobs. Naruto then pulled away from the embrace and wiped the tears from his eyes. "Now, I think we should get some sleep." Sasuke yawned before turning to move to his bed. "Don't worry, you'll wake up tomorrow and realize that none of this was just a dream. Rather it was a dream come true." Naruto followed into his own bed, resting on his back while his eyes wondered the roof above him. A sudden joy overcame him while he lay there, flowing through his body as the thoughts of Sasuke's words repeated in his mind "So, this is what it's like to have a brother?"

As the sands of sleep weighed heavily on the eyes of the two boys, new dreams entered into their minds. Dreams of happiness and laughter, of hope and friendship. For the first time in a while, Naruto slept easily, without any shadows or nightmares encumbering his heart.

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Well there it is. Ya ya, Sasuke is allot kinder now. But Naruto does have a way of changing those around him.  
I prefer him this way too (rather than the emo kid he is). Hope you enjoyed and please review.


	35. Chapter 35 A Dawn of Hope

**Tears of Hope**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto, nor am I affiliated in any way with Naruto. I just like the show and mangas so I wrote this fanfic.

This fanfic belongs to me. If you want to use it in any way shape or form, you'll need my permission first.

Alas, tis the last chapter for my story. :'( But don't be dismayed, I will write another one! :D (starting immediately!)

I'm thinking of doing a sequel or continuation. I don't think I'm done with the topic of hope and friendship just yet and Naruto still has other trials that he needs to overcome, but this particular one is pretty much at an end. I know I could continue it, but I don't want to stretch it any more. Saiaku (The primary villain) is dead already and the most pertinent obstacle has been overcome. But their are still other problems to face and friends to rely on.

I would like to know if anyone has good ideas for what they want to see in a sequel. Please don't put them in your reviews if you can help it (rather message me). I already have a few ideas of my own, but some inspiration is always be nice. There will probably be a series of stories that follow directly after this event and continue to grow from Naruto's experiences of what happened to him. There are many more lessons for him to learn in friendship, family and hope.

Anyway, please let me know what you think and I hope enjoy the last chapter!

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**Chapter Thirty Five - A Dawn of Hope**

As a cool gentle breeze gently pushed it's way through the shifting green grass, a boy's cries of a new found hope carried across the air. The shimmering water that flowed under an all too familiar bridge, glistened with the lone reflection of a pink haired girl. Sakura's thoughts were once again wondering on everything that had recently come to pass. Only this time it wasn't Orochimaru's attack on Konoha that played on her mind, but rather the events that circled around her close friend. She remembered way she had found Naruto's cold lifeless body in the clearing amongst Konoha's woods and the fear of him dying. She also remembered how the boy slowly began to recover from the wounds and tortures he endured that night. His friends had been there for him at all times, fighting to protect Naruto from harm. Her body then shuddered in the breeze as the memories of seeing his lifeless body fall to the floor when he saved Sasuke from Saiaku's lightning attack, but then it warmed up again when she remembered him opening his eyes in the hospital once more. She never thought she could ever feel happier than she did at that moment, that is until she saw the hope and tears oose freely from his body as a small girl held it in a comforting embrace. They were all memories now, but ones that she would never forget for the rest of her life.

A few more days had passed since they had all been at Sasuke's house. The warm emotions they had all felt there still latched onto Naruto's friends, giving them hope for the boy's eventual recovery. As the warm light reflected back into her Sakura's motionless eyes, a hand suddenly waved in front of them, catching her gaze and snapping her out of her dreams. "Hey Sakura-chan!" Sakura turned around to see Naruto's blue eyes staring at her, filled with a hint of concern. "You zoned out again, you really shouldn't make a habit of it you know" Sasuke smirked, folding his arms into a relaxed position. Sakura's eyes fixed on the two in front of her, causing Naruto's face to go read. "What... what were you thinking about this time?" he blushed, scratching the back of his head while his eyes wondered the bridges surface. "What's the matter Naruto? You look a little flushed." Naruto began to scowl at Sasuke's comment, embarrassed at having been caught unaware. Sakura just smiled at the sight of his expression, it made her happy to see that things were returning to the way they once were.

The three of them were all waiting patiently for their ever late sensei. They had received a message telling them to be there as early as possible, which would have helped if Kakashi himself was ever on time. Naruto couldn't help but wonder what mission they might undertake this time, although he knew he probably wouldn't get anything higher than a D-rank so soon after what had happened to him. He was surprised Tsunade would even let him on a mission so soon at all. His wondering thoughts were soon interrupted when a burst of smoke erupted behind the three, causing them to jump around in surprise. Kakashi came floating into view with a 'Make-out Paradise' book firmly in his hand. "You were late because of those stupid books!" Sasuke and Naruto yelled almost in unison, before continuing to verbally assaulting there late sensei once again. Kakashi just gave out another surrendering sigh while Sakura giggled at the humorous scene. Things were definitely returning to normal... she hoped.

After a few more seconds, Naruto and Sasuke finally calmed themselves down, at least they weren't at each other's throats before he got there. Naruto then remembered his thoughts and began to mumble them into words. "So.. um.. Kakashi-sensei, what mission are we going on today?" Kakashi looked over to the unusually timid Naruto in confusion, he was normally allot more enthusiastic about the possibility of a daring adventure. It seemed the boy still had a few fears and emotions to iron out before he was completely himself again, but that was to be expected. He had made far more progress that they had all hoped, especially considering the cruelty and tortures he had been subjected to. It was all thanks to his friends' acceptance of him, regardless of he fact that they knew the Kyuubi was sealed in his body. That had made all the difference in Naruto's soul. "Well, today we are having a little get together. Tsunade thought it would be a good idea for us to all have a bit of rest after the stress of these previous few days." Naruto's face slightly inched into a frown for a second, disappointed that they weren't going on any missions, but it soon returned back to normal. The idea sounded good after all, especially if his friends were involved. He shot up a feral grin. "So... where to?"

Kakashi led the genin to the entrance of Konoha, walking down it's dusty streets while the shuffling of busy feet sounded around them. It was still quite early, but most of the working villagers were already up by now, setting to their daily tasks. Naruto noticed that there weren't as many cruel eyes staring his way, in fact some were filled with confusion and, strangely enough, some of them were even filled with what looked like sadness. He slouched his head downwards with his eyes meeting his feet. He wasn't quite sure how to react to these new stares and he grew even more uneasy as whispers filled the air. Kakashi noticed his body tightening uncomfortably and placed a friendly hand on his shoulder. "Try to relax, I think there may have been a few changes of heart after all" Kakashi smiled, as the blue eyed boy's eyes raised to meet his own. He felt a bit more comfortable once he heard those words, but he knew there were still hateful eyes dotted amongst the stares. They all made there way out of the gates and down a pathway that led further away from the village. It didn't take long to reach a nice open clearing, where a group of familiar shinobi were already waiting for them. The beauty and tranquility of the green field everyone had occupied was even further enhanced by the silently glimmering ripples of the nearby stream. It was a picture perfect location for a day of rest with his friends. Naruto looked up with a smile on his face as Gaara suddenly came into view, his red clothing and hair standing in stark contrast to the blues an greens around him. He thought that the sand shinobi had already left for Sunagakure, but was quite pleased to have been proven wrong.

Everyone else that mattered to him was there as well, from the remaining rookie twelve to their jounin leaders, all relaxing and enjoying the immaculate weather. Even Iruka was standing amongst his former students. Jiraiya and Tsunade were a bit further off to their side, drinking what looked like warms cups of saki while they laughed and smiled in conversation. A very irate Shizune began to scold the Hokage, reminding her that she was still on duty and it was far to early to be drinking alcohol. Naruto giggled as the old woman's bottom lip stiffened into a pout, almost looking exactly like he did when he gave the same expression. "Well, you three better run off" Kakashi coughed, nudging them to go and join their relaxing friends. The three scurried of in a flash as they made there way over to the other rookies. Kakashi watched with a warm smile as hand shakes and hugs were shared between them, even Ino and Sakura shared a hug, shortly before fighting over a shaded patch of grass. Naruto looked unnaturally shy as the greetings were passed to him, but no where near as uncomfortable as Gaara looked when the blond haired boy threw his excited arms around the stunned sand shinobi. Lee, of course, saw it as a challenge and proceeded to nearly crush Naruto when it was his turn to say hello.

The copy ninja smiled under his mask and then turned to make his way over to where Tsunade, Jiraiya and Shizune were standing, raising his hand in greeting as he approached. The two sanin paused in there conversation and turned their attention to their new visitor. "Looks like you finally made it. I thought you three were never gonna come." Jiraiya smirked, nugging Tsunade in the side with his elbow. He got a bit more than he bargained for when she decided to nug him back. If the sound of cracking ribs wasn't already familiar to the nearby shinobi, it was now. Kakashi just shook his head in dismay, did everyone always have to point out how late he was? "Well, it seems as though Naruto is doing allot better now" he then murmured breaking attention away from his late arrival. Tsunade just gave off a warm smile, before taking another sip of her sake. She turned to look at the said boy and watched as he loudly chirped away to his friends. He and Sasuke seemed to be in a heated debate once again, no doubt about which one of them were better at something or another. "It's... good to see him in higher spirits again" she finally responded. Jiraiya walked up beside her and shared in her view. He watched his pupil's happy motions intently before letting out a deep sigh. "You know" he began. "There will always be those who look at Naruto with cruelty in their eyes and they may still try to harm the boy. Although your speech with the villagers has born some fruit, some hearts are too blinded by hatred to ever mend."

Tsunade didn't flinch at her fellow sanin's words, she just continued to watch as Naruto's head turned to face them. She knew that the boy was in a fragile state at the moment. It wouldn't take much to push him back into the darkness that had almost swallowed him. The boy's friends were the only ones who could really help him stay protected from that hellish nightmare. Naruto began to notice their stares and let out a big grin, scratching the back of his head while his face flushed in embarrassment. Tsunade just let out a giggle at the boys funny antics. "I know what you mean" she finally replied to Jiraiya. "But now he has friends that are there to help him when he's in need. They are the lights of hope that will guide him through the darkness." Jiraiya closed his eyes in thought, allowing a smile of approval to grace his matured face. "He also has two cranky old shinobi who'll crack the skulls of anyone to try to hurt him!" he laughed. The four of them then continued to watch in silence as Naruto mingled with his friends. His happy smiles and bursts of laughter seemed to fill them with a glowing warmth, empowering their souls with the genuine kindness that seemed to flow through it's wake. It was like he had a strange power, one that could change the world around him and influence it for the better. If that wasn't something worth protecting then there probably wasn't anything that was.

Just then, Naruto came running up to the where the four shinobi stood, waving in his approach. "Hey you guys, we're... gonna take a photograph! Don't you... want to come... as well?!" he panted as he landed tiredly before them. "Well, aren't we excited all of a sudden?" Kakashi smiled as he saw the boys brimming face. Naruto just flashed his feral grin once again. Tsunade returned with a grin of her own and then knelt in front of the boy. "Let me see your hands first" she smiled, putting her own hands out to meet the boy. Naruto placed his hands in her palms, watching in confusion as she looked over them intently, examining every inch of their surface. After a few seconds, she let out a deeply relieved sigh, followed by a hearty grin. "Well, it looks like your wounds are almost completely healed. I don't see a single trace of scarring either." "Yea well I guess that stupid fox finally decided to get off his lazy ass and do his job properly."

With those words, a grinning Naruto then turned his hands over and grabbed the surprised Hokage by her wrists, pulling her up off her haunches towards the other waiting shinobi. She shot her head backwards in embarrassment to see the other three following as well, Shizune covering her face to conceal her inevitable laugh. They all gathered up around the camera, lining in front of it while the operator held out his hands to queue them into position. As they gathered up into a large group, Naruto looked to his sides to see his friends around him, their warming comfort filling his heart with the hope of a brighter future. Sasuke and Sakura put their arms over his shoulders and the three squeezed tightly, pulling them closer to one-another. Sasuke even pulled Gaara into the embrace, despite the shinobi's obvious surprise, although he didn't seem to mind it at all. It fact it was the most comfortable they had ever seen him, when it came to being with others.

They all stood their in the warm morning sunlight, absorbing it's soft rays as they pierced gently into their skin. Naruto's eyes suddenly began to glimmer with water, gaining the attention of his nearby friends. "What's wrong Naruto?" Sakura gulped, afraid that the boy might have still been in some sort of pain. Naruto sniffled a little before he replied. "W...well, it's... it's just that... this will be the first family photo I've ever been in" he sobbed, trying desperately to hold back any tears. Everyone just smiled at his words. They all knew how important this was for the boy. He finally had something he never thought he could acquire. Naruto had found a family, one that cared for him and loved him with all their hearts. They were his precious people, the ones who dared to enter his empty, lifeless soul and fill it with their warmth, comfort and love. The ones who had burned away the darkness that had consumed him all his life with their fallen Tears of Hope.

**--The End--**

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Ahhhhh! It is done! :'( I hope you enjoyed this story as much as I enjoyed writing it! It was so hard to let go, but easier to do so knowing I would write a follow-up.  
**Please let me know what you thought of my first fanfic! **I intend to improve even more on the second one.

**Remember that I will be writing my new story soon, so keep checking back to my profile. (I should start uploading within the next few days.)**

Thanks to everyone who's been giving me good feedback. Special thanks to xxnarufanxx for his continual support since the very beginning of the story.  
There are other names I want to mention as well, but for fear of missing one of them (and hurting their feelings) I will instead thank them personally for their support.

Remember about what I said at the beginning of this chapter. I will definitely be writing a sequel or continuation so it isn't over yet! Please send me any ideas you have, or anything you might like to see in a story.  
Also, if you have any other ideas for separate stories, I'll be glad to hear (ehem.. read) them and if they are good, I'll be sure to give it a shot.

**THANKS AGAIN!!**


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